Asylum
by The Smiling Shadow
Summary: They're not Neo and Smith. They're Thomas and John. And they are insane. They've spent 5 years in an asylum, together in their white room. Trying to remember what happened to them. Putting it all together. Did it all really happen?
1. The Asylum

They'll never leave this place. This place they've come to know as the room with white walls. They don't remember much before being in their white room. They recall a lot of rain and cold... They recall a lot of pain, being caused by a light. But they don't remember being separated by each other.

They'll never leave this place. Not that they even have anywhere to go besides here. Not that they know how to get out of this place. Not that they have a choice.

They sit together sometimes, in the center of their white room. Whispering to each other so no one else will hear, staring off in different directions so no one realizes they're speaking to the other. They sit close together, and begin to shake, and scream. They start jumping off the walls, hitting each other, exchanging black eyes. They bang their heads on the walls, and thrash about within their white room. When the nurses come they are silent, and sitting in their separate corners again, as if nothing had ever happened.

But when they speak to each other. When they sit together peacefully. They try and put it all together. They whisper broken pieces of memories and try to put it together. The rain and the light, they try to make sense of it all. One says a name, and the other describes a face to go with it. One would give a date and put events in it. One would give part of a speech, and the other would finish it.

Both would ask a question, but neither would know the answer.

Then they would start screaming, and hurting each other.

They know it didn't always used to be like this. They can feel it. They weren't always in the white room. They were once in the rain, and the cold. They once spoke to the outside world. They once loved, and hated. They know they did, they can feel it. They know they did, but they just can't remember.

But the nurses and staff know what they did. They have it all on tape, the two of them have neglected to notice the video camera, or they just don't care about it. Of course the nurses and staff have no idea what they are speaking to each other about, or what makes them thrash out the way they do.

They sit there in their white room, in their own little corners. They sit across from each other, so they can see one another, so they can make sure the other one won't leave them. They say they have to be together, or else something bad will happen.

They were once put into separate rooms, the first time they came here. They seemed confused and disorient. They paced around in their rooms, nodding their heads, and twitching their hands. They didn't sleep that night, only staring outside through the glass to the outside world. The next day they were screaming on the top of their lungs at the same time. They could be heard from everyone except themselves.

They screamed and screamed, punching the walls and running into them. Even making a hole or two after their persistence. They grabbed their beds and tore them open, throwing the cotton inside everywhere. The pillows they threw into the walls until they burst open. The bed frames were pushed onto the floor. The sinks were used to bash their own heads. They wouldn't stop. The nurses thought they would stop after an hour and they would be able to calm them down. But they didn't. Hours on end they went screaming and thrashing four hours and hours, asking for the other.

It took eleven people to sedate them, and take them down.

And it took a week for the staff to realize they wanted to be put together.

Even now the staff doesn't understand why they still hurt each other even when they're together.

They say they're just doing their purpose.

And they know they'll never leave this place.

They'll never this Asylum.

"Is that them?" Michelle peered in through the small glass window.

They didn't even notice her in their window. Her pale smooth skin, and blue eyes, her black hair sleeked back and curled at the tip, now in her nurse's white uniform.

"Yep, that's them alright." Aaron said standing behind her.

Aaron was in his white uniform as well, standing tall like the muscular African American he was, working out all day he feared he was getting too old to do it anymore. He had long since shaved his head, due to losing his hair. He said shaving your head was the comb-over of the twenty-first centaury.

"They don't look so bad." Michelle turns to Aaron.

"They're not so bad when they're together, at least not all the time. But look out when the doctors come and they're separated." Aaron walked closer to her.

"What happens?"

"I don't know..."

Aaron then peered into their white room through the window.

"They just hate being apart. They get all crazy, and start hitting themselves. They scream, and hurt the staff. They're always so quiet and complying most of the time. But when they're separated...they'll do anything to get back together." Aaron explained, turning to her.

"Hitting themselves?"

"Yeah, running into the walls, and doing whatever they can do."

"Jesus."

"I know, pretty heaving stuff huh?"

"They look so peaceful."

"I know, but the straight jackets help. At first we didn't put those on them, and every now and then they'd start fighting. Like God, they must know Kung fu or something, literally they're jumping off the walls, and throwing all shorts of punches."

"Fighting? Then why would they want to be together?" Michelle looks worried.

"I don't know. They still fight sometimes. But heads and what not, do as much as they can in the straight jackets. But then they stop, and everything is nice and dandy again."

Michelle stares at them now.

"That one there is Thomas, and the other one is John. But they don't like those names. They get crazy if you call them that. So Thomas is Neo, and John is Smith, okay? Let's not get them angry, especially after last week." Aaron said.

"What happened last week?"

"Well, you're the new nurse here right? How do you think you got your job?"

"Oh my god..."

"Come on, let's get this over with, we have more patients you know." Aaron opens the door, and hands Michelle the tray.

Michelle was cautious to step in their white room. She had heard the stories the other nurses told her. What these two did sometimes, how many nurses they've hurt. But she stepped in, and was greeted by brown and blue eyes staring at her.

"I'll take care of Neo, Smith is easier." Aaron said, grabbing a cup of pills for Neo.

Michelle decided to wait and watch how Aaron did this before attempting with this...Smith person there.

"Here you go Neo, the red ones see? You like the red pills right?" Aaron leaned down holding the cup down to let Neo peer in and see what color they were.

"Are you Morpheus?" Neo looked up at Aaron.

"Yeah, Neo, I'm Morpheus, whatever you say."

Then Neo nodded very obediently and opened his mouth, allowing Morpheus to feed it to him. Then Morpheus put a glass of water in his mouth, and Neo swallowed his red pills without any regret.

"See, it's easy." Aaron turned to Michelle.

Michelle nodded, before quietly walking over to this Smith person. He wasn't like Neo though, he didn't turn his head to look at her, or move or anything. He just sat there, staring at the floor.

"Um...Smith, here are your...blue pills." Michelle leaned down.

"Who is she?" Neo looked over at her.

Michelle looked over at Neo, who had now raised his head, and stared at her with his Brown eyes.

"Her name is Michelle, Neo, she's a new nurse here." Aaron explained.

Neo stared at her for a moment, with a certain confusion in his eyes, a certain desperation staring at Michelle, as if asking her to forgive him. And then he began to shake his head, still staring at her, now with a little happiness.

"Trinity!" Neo yelled.

Michelle stared at him, as he began to smile.

"Trinity! Trinity!" Neo yelled, smiling like a five year old at his mother.

"She's not Trinity."

Smith said that. His voice was demanding and dismissive. He didn't even look over at Neo, he didn't even look at her, he just stared at the floor again.

"Shut up! You don't know what you're talking about! It's Trinity!" Neo continued to yell.

"Neo..." Aaron began.

"Morpheus! It's Trinity! I told you, Smith! I told you she would come for me! I told you!"

"She's not Trinity." Smith said again, still not looking at her.

"Trinity!" Neo continued to yell, his smiling so alluring.

"She's not Trinity!" Smith raised his voice, then he slightly turned his head at Michelle. "Are you this Trinity, Miss?" He asked.

Michelle had a worried look on her face.

"My name is Michelle, Neo...I don't know who this Trinity is..." Michelle said.

"No!"

Neo stared at her a moment longer.

"You're Trinity! You got to be!" Neo yelled.

"Don't pay any attention to him, Ms. Michelle, now give me my pills." Smith said, looking up at her.

"Excuse me?" Michelle looked over at him.

"Give me my pills, isn't that what you're here to do? Isn't that your purpose?"

llllllllllllllllllll

"Man, that was weird." Aaron said.

The two of them walked slowly down the many halls of this place. Michelle pushed a cart filled with charts and pills for the other patients. They were finished with this wing of the Asylum, onto the next.

Michelle hadn't heard Aaron, she was too occupied thinking about those two. Neo and Smith, Thomas and John. The way Neo looked at her...He seemed so sure he was this Trinity, he seemed so happy, he seemed so.... He seemed lost, then found when he recognized her face.

What happened to him? He seemed so sad when she left. And Smith seemed so...uncaring about anything.

The way Neo looked at her...

"Who is Trinity, Aaron?" Michelle asked.

"Shit if I know." Aaron laughed.

"What happened to them, Aaron? Why are they...you know, insane?"

Michelle started to slow down, pushing the cart.

"Well, you know the boss doesn't tell us everything. We're just the pill givers after all, the unpluggers. But I know a little. Thomas A. Anderson, and Jonathon Smith. They came here like five years ago. I wasn't around back then, but you know how word gets around, especially on those two." Aaron tried to explain.

"Five years? No one has helped them?"

"Hey psychiatrists tried to help them, but they couldn't even take separate sessions. Those guys are insane, and they'll always be insane."

"How sad..."

"Hey you get used to cases like that... Anyway, Tom used to be head of this big computer corporation, real big, the guy's a computer genius. Smith was an FBI Agent, if you can believe that."

"I can believe that."

"I guess they were roommates or something, they knew each other some how. I guess they were real close, giving the fact they won't be separated, even if they fight all the time. Anyway, they say some guys in suits found them at their house or apartment or whatever. They were lying on the floor next to each other, screaming the same stuff they yell now. They were just like spazzing out."

"Men in suits, like Smith?"

"No, these guys were different, not FBI or anything, but I don't know what they were from. They just brought the two of them here. And well, you know."

Michelle stopped, and the cart came to a halt.

"Aaron, the way he looked at me..." She said.

"Hey, come on. I don't know who this Trinity is. But Neo...Tom was a big time Hacker. They found him at his place with John, computers everywhere, wires and all heavy stuff like that. They say he hacked into the bank and everything. Well you know, they couldn't really send him to jail, crazy and everything. That's where Neo comes in, that was his hacker name. Who knows, maybe Trinity was a hacker too. Maybe Morpheus was too."

Aaron pulled Michelle by the arm, trying to get her to move again, trying to calm her down. This is what happens everyday here, this is what happens here, at the Asylum.

"How'd they go insane, Aaron?" Michelle asked.

"I don't know. I really don't... Some guys in suits just came with a court order, and here we are." Aaron tugged her by the arm.

llllllllllllllllllll

"She's gone now." Smith whispered to Neo.

"You're in my corner." Neo looks up at Smith.

"She's gone now."

Smith starts to do his best in his straight jacket to crawl over to Neo, where he begins to sit next to him, shoulder to shoulder. Smith turns his blue eyes over to Neo, where Neo is sulking in what used to be his corner. With Smith's invasion, he turns to his knees for retreat, resting his head on them, turning his arms within his jacket.

"You want to talk." It's a statement not a question, Smith says.

"I love her."

"You don't even remember her."

"That's a lie...You're lying. I remember her...I remember her... Trinity, that's how I recognized her."

"That wasn't Trinity. And that man, he's not Morpheus."

"Stop it, Smith."

Neo buried his head deeper in his knees, trying to escape this place. Trying to escape this white room.

"The Agents put us here, because they're scared of us, Mr. Anderson."

"I know, you say that all the time."

"We can't forget that, if anything we can't forget that. Agents put us here. And that camera up there, that's the Architect watching us."

"Sometimes I wonder, Smith..."

"We're going to get out of here, Mr. Anderson. Soon, I promise, we're going to get out of here, one way or another."

Neo just buries his head deeper in his knees, wanting Smith to go back to his corner. Leave him alone, with that woman. She's Trinity, he knows she is. Trinity, he would recognize that beautiful face anywhere. He knew she would come for him, and take him away from this horrible white place. Trinity... He remembers the love he felt, but none of the memories that led to this love. He remembers her warmth and her voice, her eyes and smile. He remembers how easy it was to make her smile. She was always happy when he was around, and he was always happy when she was around.

But Smith has been saying they'll get out for five years, and yet nothing as happened. Neo watches Smith when he's not looking. He knows how much Smith plans on getting out of this place. When Smith stares at the floor, he's thinking about it all. Planning for when they get out of this white place. Where they will go, and how. Smith has concluded to go to the Oracle's at first, then move on to contact Zion.

But five years have gone by and nothing.

"You want to fight." Another statement not a question by Smith.

Neo didn't answer.

"You know how fighting calms you down, it calms us both down, that's what we do, we fight." Smith continued on, nudging Neo in the shoulder.

"Okay..." Neo stood up.

Slowly he walked to the other side of the white padded room, and slouched down, before getting ready to fight. Then Smith joined him on the other side of the room. They would fight now, just to let it all out.

They'd do their best with their straight jackets on, they'll fight with their shoulders and legs, their knees and heads if they have to. But they'll fight, that's what they do. They fight. The Negative and the Positive fight.

llllllllllllllllllll

"The Matrix Has You!"

"The Matrix Has You!"

Michelle looks up.

"That's them, don't worry about it." Aaron assures her.

Another day, another week of work. Another day at the Asylum.

Michelle hadn't ever really heard them cry out, even though all the nurses said they do. This was the first time. And it could be heard all over the Asylum.

"What are they yelling?" Michelle asked.

"I don't know. They should stop by the time we get there." Aaron says.

Michelle nods, listening to them, until they stop. She pushes the cart slowly across the hallways, coming closer and closer to them.

The way he looked at her...

"You go on Aaron, I want to take this one alone." Michelle said.

"No way. You're so freaked with them, besides rules say two go in with them."

"Please, Aaron...Please."

That's when she opens the door and walks in alone to their room. And she watches as Neo looks up, giving her a small smile, trying to make her smile back. She doesn't as she stops to get the red pills for Neo. She walks slowly over to him, cautious of his sad little smile.

Then she leans down her arm, ready to give the pills to him.

But out of his straight jacket his hand reaches, and grabs her by the arm.

She gasps, but doesn't scream. Neo still stares at her smiling.

"Please, Michelle... If I was good, if I asked you really nicely... Would you be Trinity?" Neo asks.

That's when Michelle begins to shake.

Then she turns around to see Smith, rising to his feet.

"Smith...?" She asks him.

Smith stays silent as he begins to walk slowly closer to her and Neo.

"Please, Michelle, please be Trinity..." Neo asks again.

They'll never leave this place...This white place. This Asylum. They'll try and try, but they'll never leave this place.

They're memories gone, and their power taken.

Their reality completely entangled, and lost.


	2. I Didn't Mean To

"I didn't mean to hurt her. Really, I didn't. I just…I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry." He whispered.

Everything in this place was white. He had forgotten that, and tended to think only his cell was white. He could now see everything in this place was white, the halls and the floor, the clothes everyone wore, even the sane people. He wondered then how the sane could tell difference between themselves and the mad. Even the doctor's room was white, with a white desk and red chairs. He would have guessed the entire world was white if not for the fact the doctor had a window and he could see the green grass of the outside park area.

He lowered his head away from the window and nearly curled up into a ball there in his chair as he raised his knees and put his hands together. He didn't want to look at all the doctors anymore. With the light from the outside he could only see their silhouettes and their glasses reflecting like large mechanical eyes. Their heads tilted in unison as if they were one large machine connected by wires under the floor. Their eyes reflecting like a Sentinel's eyes, never blinking never moving. He hated the doctors. He hated them. They never listened and they only stared at him with their horrible eyes.

He just wanted them to go away then, just leave him alone. He's been here many times. He gets the feeling he's one of the doctors' favorites here. He is kept away from other inmates of the Asylum all except Smith. But still he knows, the doctor likes him, the doctor is fascinated by him. The doctor sees him as a way to fame.

"It is all right, Mr. Anderson…" The main doctor begins to say.

"Neo."

"…Excuse me?"

"My name is…Neo."

Neo curled further closer into a ball as he said those words, somewhat embarrassed saying them. As if confirming to everyone there he was insane. That name, the name he knew was his own, how he wished he never knew that name. Oh but he knew he had to know it. He knew that it was his and it meant something great. Thomas, they told him his real name was Thomas. He hated that name more, so…plain. How many people were there in the world named Thomas? And how many Neo?

"…Yes of course, Neo. We know you meant no harm. We merely want to know why you did it. Why, Mr. Anderson?" The doctors tilted their heads.

Neo bit his lip and said nothing.

"Was it on impulse? Did she anger you in some way? We know she is new here, did you not like her? Do you miss the old nurse?

"I could never…be angry at her." Neo whispered to himself, in his own world.

"Excuse me?"

"She's so beautiful. The most…beautiful thing I have ever seen." He continued.

"Why, Mr. Anderson?"

"I love her…."

"Why, Mr. Anderson?"

"So…beautiful."

The doctors excused him, after all they had been talking for so long, and still nothing. Nothing, nothing like every time they talked to either the Anderson or Smith subject. And still the doctors were interested in them. Something…about their delusions. If not for these claims of a dream world and these martial arts acts they could pass as sane men in the real world. Odd if not, sane men. The doctors watched, tilting their heads like machines, and watched as Neo was taken away, and walking down the hall giving them one more glance then a cold shoulder.

-------

"Come along, Mr. Anderson." The guard gently gestured.

The guard tugged at Neo's arm gently, leading the way across the endless white hallways to his cell. Neo gave a weak smile to the guard, but soon returned to lowering his head to the ground, and watched as they passed the reflections of light on the floor.

"Hey now, don't act so glum." The guard said, smiling.

Neo hadn't really heard him. He has the amazing ability to leave this type of reality and drift off within his own mind, where the world became numb and everything dulled. He saw in black and white then and in two dimensions. The screaming of the truly mad somehow still rang in his ear and into his little world. The cries of the insane. People screaming out of pain, agony, or sometimes pure fear.

Smith often listens to the cries, he says he can tell the difference between them. And has named them by numbers and listed his favorites. His favorite of favorites is a woman, he says she cries in pure fear, which he can recognize so well. Neo sometimes wonders how he can recognize screaming, but never thinks too much of it.

"Hey, hey, what's it you like to be called? Neo?" The guard asked.

By the mention of his name, he was called back to this reality as his head snapped up and he looked at the guard. The guard gave an all-knowing grin.

"Yup, that's it isn't it? Well, Neo it is then! Come on Neo, don't act so sad. It wasn't your fault, you're sick, man. But you'll get better, you know. We all get better." The guard smiled.

"Sick?"

"Besides, Michelle is all right. I'm going to go visit her today. You should be happy you know. Lot of other crazies going around in the world without this. You get a home, and food! Pretty good food, right?" The guard laughed.

At first Neo said nothing, but the guard leaned in closer, patting him on the back.

"It's all right." Neo acknowledged.

"Plus you got John with you in there! Awesome, a roommate! You know, sometimes I think about acting crazy just to get in one of these places, instead of living in the rat hole I live in now. Of course, I mean really there aren't rats, it's just a saying, you know?"

"Smith."

"What?"

"His name is Smith." Neo nodded, and the guard smiled.

"Neo and Smith! Now that's got a nice ring to it!"

The guard laughed, patting Neo on the back again. The guard seemed like a nice man, very eccentric really. Perhaps too upbeat for Neo at the moment. The guard was a strong black man, though small in his own way. He had a great and genuine smile as he walked in a sort of upbeat way, as if it were kept up by a beat he was humming inside his head.

"What…what is your name?" Neo quietly asked.

"My name? Well…it's not as cool as Neo, I'll give you that, but weird still. My name is Tank."

"Tank?"

Neo snapped his head up.

"Yeah, dad was in the army you know, drove the tanks." Tank laughed.

Neo's mouth dropped open.

"Well here we are, Neo. Say hi to Smith for me."

Tank opened the door, and gently pushed Neo inside, laughing as he left. Neo stood next to the door peering out the little window watching as the man named Tank left. Neo still wanting to see the man even pressed his face onto the glass until it was fogged by his own breath.

"Tank…." He whispered.

"You were gone for a long time."

Neo turns to see Smith lying in the center of the floor in direct view of the door. He sits with his legs crossed and with an unexpressed face.

"Three hours forty-six minutes." Smith finished.

"That long?"

Neo walks over to Smith and looks up for a moment at the camera before sitting next to him. Smith's expression slightly changes as he looks over at Neo and lowers his head. He smiles almost.

"I'm glad you're back." Smith says.

"Me too."

"What did they do?"

"Ask me a lot of questions."

"Did they hypnotize you?"

"No…I don't think so."

"Good. I hate it when they do that."

"They never believe us anyway…just think that it's what we believe and not the truth."

Smith turns his head.

"But it is true, right?" Neo asks. "All of it?"

"Yes, of course it is!" Smith snaps.

Neo slightly lowers his head from being yelled at, but nods.

"Okay. I believe you."

Smith frowns and turns his back to Neo, and Neo frowns from the rejection of his lack of belief. Neo nudges Smith in the back and leans over to him on his knees

"I believe." Neo says.

"You were gone for so long…."

Smith slightly turns his head towards Neo. But the mad man looses balance and falls onto Smith and then slides off and onto his back next to Smith. Neo frowns at his little clumsy act, but looks up at Smith from the ground.

"I've been thinking." Neo says. "That's the first time I've been taken out of this room in a really long time."

"Five months." Smith clarifies.

"Really? That long?" Neo frowns. "Well, that only proves my point. I mean…I don't know how long we've been here in all, but…"

Smith looks down at him and begins to open his mouth to tell him, but Neo shakes his head.

"No! Don't tell me, please. We've been here a long time…and, well in the eyes of the doctors we haven't gotten any saner…"

"We are sane." Smith says angrily.

"I know! But to them, to everybody…" Neo trails off. "We don't know a lot about ourselves either, and we're not learning a lot by staying inside here."

Smith turns away from Neo on the ground and looks to the wall.

"We know enough." Smith says.

"What do we know? Names that have no faces? Faces that have no names? Events with no concept of how they relate to each other or when they happened? A dream world, this dream world? Rain?"

Smith still says nothing and turns his back, and Neo lifts himself up, and nudges him.

"We know people and places, we just…don't know where we fit into the whole thing, the bigger picture. How did we affect all of that? …Smith?" Neo continued. 

"What if…some things we don't want to remember?"

Neo is thrown back by the comment for a moment. He couldn't imagine after all this time Smith having regrets now. They always tried to remember that's all they did, that's what kept them from really going insane. That's all they did. Try to remember the people that they cared for and cared for them. What they did to it all. Who they were, what their purpose was. These questions fueled them, how could Smith be afraid of the answers? Or maybe…he always was.

"Smith?"

Neo crawled closer to Smith.

"It is the question that drives us." Smith interrupted. "What do you propose we do, Mr. Anderson?"

"…Act like they act? Act…sane? Then they'll let us out, and we can…we can look for answers." Neo said timidly.

It wasn't like Neo to speak up with an idea, he left such things to Smith. But it's been years, and nothing new. Dreams, that's all that's happened. Neo lowered his head but kept crawling towards Smith.

"Sounds excellent." Smith smiled. "That means no hurting the attendants."

"…I didn't mean to hurt her. Really…I just thought…if I kissed her maybe she'd remember. I didn't mean to hurt her…" Neo looked away. "I love her."

"You love Trinity."

"Hey, did we ever know a man named Tank?"

"No, I don't think so."

"Oh…"

That's when Neo's face met Smith's foot, and Neo was thrown back to the floor.

Smith jumped up in a fighting stance, as Neo looked up from the ground, opening his mouth and trying to correct his jaw.

"Fighting calms us down." Smith explained.

Neo nodded, as he slowly rose, but Smith rammed into him before he could fully rise. Neo taken back fell to the floor to rise faster and jump back from Smith, running to the other side of the wall, jumping off it, and landing on Smith's head.

-------

Aaron in his white uniform strolled around the mad house, humming something that sounded like a Green Day song. It was him trying to seem younger, to get this lovely co-worker to notice him. He didn't know if it was working yet, but he'd give it a try. He was going to go with Tank to visit Michelle at her apartment. She wasn't that beat up, and would return to work soon. But this time Aaron slowly stopped at the room that held Thomas A. Anderson, and Jonathon Smith. He peered into the window, making sure it was safe. The two were in their little corners, sitting across from each other as usual. Aaron strode in.

"Hello, boys, today's not time for a show is it?" Aaron said, making his way to Neo.

"Hello Aaron." Neo said brightfully.

"Huh? No Morpheus today?"

"Well it isn't your name is it?"

"Well no, but I was getting used to it. I like it."

"I do too." Neo nodded.

Aaron looked over to Smith who watched them with a neautral stare, as if he were just bored and watching the two. He didn't move and neither did Neo. Neo just smiled at him, and opened his mouth ready for some yummy red pills that Aaron slid down his throat.

"Morpheus, God of Dreams, son of Orpheus, God of Sleep." Smith whispered.

"Aaron…" Neo said quietly.

"Yes, Neo?"

"…I didn't mean to hurt her."

-------

Next Chapter: Who are They?

Well, I meant this story only to be a One-shot. But you guys wanted more. This did get me thinking on where to lead the story. Now, I didn't want to continue the story, but the idea just kept nagging me and nagging me, to the point I could see clearly the climax and the end as I always can see the end way before I can see the beginning. Anyway, I've decided to go ahead with it. Of course, if it starts to suck, I'll stop and delete all the additional chapters.

Next chapter you'll get to see who else resides in the Asylum….

Like a boy as alert as a Mouse, and the insane leader of the French Mafia….


	3. Who Are They?

An asylum is just like a madman it houses. A plain white and large building, seemingly cut off from the rest of the city. Though it has bars on the windows it is unlike a prison. It nearly looks normal, and if beside other buildings one wouldn't know it was a mad house. Just like the insane who may walk among the sane, sometimes it's just impossible to tell difference.

But inside the mad, and madman's house there are screams, and inner demons. People, emotions trying to claw themselves out. Pain and suffering, the mad who cry and hit and cut themselves. Inside the mad, and the madman's house, they are dying.

Within the Asylum the sane try to keep it as normal as possible, but they fail so miserably. Normal is not perfectly white. The real world is not this. Where all wear white, and it's always quiet for layers and layers of closed door separate the mad and sane from the screaming mad. Peace and quiet that never ends, that itself is somewhat maddening. The mad are allowed games. There is chess and books. Quiet things. Must be silent, must not scare. There is an art program, and paper and pencils are given. The mad can even volunteer to help the sane. Do the laundry or other such low jobs.

There is no communication with the outside however. No televisions or telephones. No computers or anything. Mere visits are allowed. That is all.

The Asylum is separated from the world. There are few visitors. And only a group of teenaged boys destined to one day live in the mad house go there. The boys come with their bikes and their black clothes, the leader seems to be the pale boy with the large Mohawk with green spikes. They come every Saturday or so, and hang around the outsides of the Asylum. They throw rocks at the windows of the mad, and point and laugh.

They often aim at a man named Joshua Daniels who suffers from Schizophrenia and a multiple personality. The teenagers often like to trigger Joshua's other more murderous personality. He peeks out the window often to investigate the noise on his window. The children point and laugh on their bikes. And Joshua retreats into the corner of his cell with a pillow that he bits into and begins to rock himself back and forth.

And sometimes Joshua isn't Joshua; he's the man that lives inside him. The man with no name, and no face, with dark black eyes. The man who he claims as his shadow. A pure black creature with no sense of loss or mourning. A person who feeds off killing. A person with black eyes of which he can see his reflection in them they are so deep. It is this man who takes him over. Who drags him into a pool of cold darkness and hate. A place where the man blinds Joshua and all he can hear is screaming and suffering. And the man who takes him over likes it.

It is this man who lives inside him that made him kill his wife, Maggie.

It is the man that lunges at the window and most of the time breaks it, throwing the shards of glass at the laughing teenagers. Where he curses their names. Where he cuts his flesh and glass gets stuck in his hands. And when the attendants come the teenagers are gone and Joshua is on the floor crying and bleeding. They take him to the hospital inside the Asylum, and the doctors ask what made him do this. Joshua only shakes his head and stays silent. If he tells them anything the man with no face and no name will return and will hurt him.

Joshua steals paper whenever he can because he resides deep into the asylum with the truly mad who can hurt themselves and others. He writes on these papers and hides them inside his mattress when the guards come to make a weekly inspection. Making sure the mad have no knives or anything like that. He tells himself everything about the day. To make sure everything is the same day in and day out. Make sure the man who lives inside him hasn't done anything to change anything.

Joshua lives deep inside the Asylum where there are no doors to block the screams of his fellow madmen. And few windows to reveal light. He listens to them, as they rock him to sleep as a lullaby. He listens to them much like Smith, and has trained himself to tell the difference between the screams. And one day Joshua notices a scream that is missing. The screams are faint, because they are on the other side of the doors, but he often enjoyed the screams, they were not ravings of madness, but just screams. And Joshua fears he might've done something to stop those screams, or at least the man who lives inside him.

He enjoyed the missing screaming, and often wondered what the screaming meant. "The Matrix Has You." The screaming said. Joshua writes it down, and wonders for a moment, what indeed is the Matrix?

And who were the two people screaming?

-------

There are few young people within the Asylum and they are all at various stages of sanity and they tend not to spend much time together. One is a murderer, one has ten different phobias, and the other is at the moment sweeping up one the halls. His name is Michael; his is roughly seventeen, maybe older.

He's not really insane. He suffers from an extreme case of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, and slight hyperactivity. He doesn't have a Germ phobia, but he prefers everything clean. He cleans his cell again and again all day, even wiping the bars with a wet clothe again and again. Everything is perfect in his cell not a thing out of place. But when he does this routine again and again sometimes he realizes he can't make it any cleaner than it already is. When that happens there's two paths he takes.

One is that he'll become overwhelmed somehow and have an outburst where he is as destructive as Neo and Smith when they are separated. He nearly destroys his cell and the furniture within it. Breaks the sink and the mattress. And then after his fit is over within an hour he begins to clean it all up again as if nothing ever happened. He'll even ask for thread and a needle to fix anything he might've torn like his pillow or mattress.

The other way is he'll sit quietly on the floor, not wanting to messy up his bed, and rock back and forth picking at himself. Picking at his skin or his hair even his eyes or fingernails. Just picks and picks and picks until he starts bleeding. And when it's over and all he has are scabs, he picks them again and again and again. He has many small scars all over his arms from doing such acts. It was these acts that lead his parents to put him there in the Asylum. His parents have recently stopped visiting.

The doctors have assigned him a daily job routine at the asylum, to keep him busy so he doesn't harm himself anymore. He goes outside in the morning when he wakes up and Aaron unlocks his cell. He goes to the gardener who gives him a job. Usually raking up leaves in the outside area or watering the flowers. Then when he's finished he goes inside and helps Kali with the laundry. Kali, with her hairs tied in buns and her African tan skin, of course Aaron is trying to act younger around her. Even Michael must admit to liking her. Kali and Michelle, the new girl. After all Michael is only a teenager. After this Michael is usually given a broom to clean the halls with. Occasionally he'll be given the job to clean the windows or help the pill givers like Tank. He likes Tank, he reminds him of the friends he used to have.

Little does Michael know of the teenagers that taunt Joshua, they are all from his school, and that's how they found the Asylum in fact. When Michael had an outburst at school they followed on bike as men in white suits took him away to the Asylum.

Michael has learned of the mad from helping Tank and Aaron and Kali and everyone else. He snatches a look at everyone's file when no one is looking and reads who the madman is and how they are insane. They don't let him go deep into the Asylum like where Joshua lives, but he knows of the two favorites of the Asylum. Many know of them in fact. The sane that take care of the insane always talk about them.

Neo and Smith. Michael rarely speaks to the sane, but listens very carefully to everything they say, especially on the subject of Neo and Smith. Michael has seen them once or twice, and heard their cry with the strange Matrix. He wonders who they were, and why he is so curious about them. When he helps Aaron and they always arrive at their cell, Neo and Smith. Aaron always tell him to wait outside the door, but Michael peers in, he wants to see them.

The man named Neo. And the man named Smith.

Michael has seen them fight. Sometimes he strays away to sweep the hall next to Neo and Smith's cell and looks into their small window, and he watches them. He's seen them fight, jumping in their cell like flying in the air. He's heard them scream and cry.

Those cries have stopped, and Michael wonders what has happened.

---------

She came to the Asylum when she was as young as Michael that was years ago. Her name is Miho. She is young and fine, brown hair, Asian decent. In her childhood she lived in Japan and clung onto a group of boys as her friends. She was the second to youngest that hung with them. They as children would go anywhere together.

She even followed them into a haunted house, and that is where this whole thing started. A haunted house, decayed and dying in front of the rest of the evolving Japan. It was forgotten until they found it, following a fragment of a rainbow right above the house. The house was haunted, and it was theirs. It was where birds flew in slow motion and sometimes things went faster or slower. It had doors that lead to nowhere, or doors that lead miles away. There were hallways that ended, and hallways where it rained. Things repeated themselves, or disappeared into the thin of air.

It was their house, where they flew.

They once led a neighbor to the house, Yoko to find her cat. They flew that day for her. They jumped in the sky and they would soon stop in the middle of the air. She as a young child declared Masatsugu the winner over Manabu in a jumping and stopping in air contest even though Masatsugu's nose was bleeding. She had a secret crush on him back then.

She was scared of ghosts whenever they went into that house, but she believed the ghosts like them, and they were the ones holding them up when they fell.

But then one day they took that haunted house away from them. Men in suits and men in goggles took that haunted house away, and scared all the ghosts away. The house was just a decaying house, and if you jumped you would hit the ground. She didn't show it at the time, the child she was, but she had utter loss in the belief she would never fly again. At such a fragile age she began to believe in ghosts like a child believed in Santa Claus. She believed men could fly and this lead to jumping off buildings as a teenager.

Masatsugu, Manabu, and even Yoko moved on from that day, but she believed in that house. And she yelled at them to admit it. Admit that they flew admit that house was haunted. They wouldn't.

As a teenager she cut her hair and no longer had those little pig tails as she had had in youth. She found a lighter, and she returned to that house, no longer haunted, and closer to death than before.

She put that house on fire, and when she got away with it. She made another building go up in flames. Then another, and another, and another. A growing paranoia grew inside her each burning. When she moved to America she did the same. She was eventually caught, and linked to all the other burnings. She was sent here. Where they take away anything that can burn, and she is left alone in her cell, believing everything she saw.

She is a pyromaniac with large periods of anxiety attacks.

And there are men who she lives near who used to scream and scream about a Matrix. And she wonders why they've stopped.

--------

Then there is a man who demands to be treated as a king even when his kingdom is made up of the mad. A man who sips his drugged wine that the attendants get every week from the nearest liquor store. He sits on his white mattress in his white clothing like everyone else as his throne. He is quite sane with mere outbursts of anxiety and paranoia, and quite murderous thoughts and even the occasional hallucinations of so called "winged demons and burning angels." It comes from a great drug abuse.

His name is Armel, a Frenchman whose name means prince. He was leader of the French Mafia that had spread across the sea.

In his prime the kingdom he lead smuggling to the Americas for people and all sorts of drugs. All he served were indented to him and therefore had to serve him from time to time. He had knights of the paranormal. Men claiming and playing as vampires with removable fangs and everything. Men who want to die only from a silver bullet. He had a home in the mountains, with fine arts and weapons from an era of true kings and knights. There was a personal prison in the seemingly endless basement of his home, where he kept his enemies, and an interesting man that made all the keys for his locks at his home.

To the public and police he was a multiple club and restaurant owner and a visitor of vampire bars. His clubs were for the crowd of the dark, the Goths and those with the fetishes. Green lights pierced through the fog from the fog machine, and men and women had sex with each other, there dancing on the dance floor. Sometimes men with men, women with women, it didn't matter with him. Life is short after all.

He had loyal subjects, and some not so much. But they were ace gunman and always won the street shootouts. Always.

He was king whose reign would last for ages. But that was when the hallucinations began and the paranoia that someone was out there, something trying to get him. Demons ripping the wings off Angels. Their blood drowning him.

His subjects noticed his decent into madness as his power grew, but said nothing whenever they'd find him using any drug with his wife. Though in his madness he grew sloppy and was found at one of his most infamous clubs. His wife escaped, but he and some of his subjects. They all plead insanity at the courts, and with the diagnostic of their King Armel with his hallucinations they were all seen so and sent to the asylum. Found to be not so insane they've been given quite luxurious cells, at least luxurious in their King's eyes.

Their King still speaks to them through the open bars, with his heavy French accent, often drunk from the cheap wine half the time. He speaks of the Era of true Kings and goes off promising them things he'll never be able to keep. Still though even inside the Asylum he has formed somewhat of an Underground. Where he promises power to those that serve him. This way he has gained blankets from his subjects, food, clothing, mirrors, soap, shampoo, little things that makes his life there more and more comfortable.

He rarely shares these treasures with his most loyal subjects that neighbor his cell. The two brothers who have been with him from the beginning, when he found them when he first came to America as pitiful homeless men, confused and fearful of the new world they found themselves in. And the white man who never speaks anymore, since his brother died from their last gunfight years ago. He once had another subject that has long since run away from his masterful kingdom. An Asian man. But he really does matter.

Cause and Effect, life is too short, everything like that.

He now awaits the next visit of his wife, as she comes every month with updates on the Mafia rebuilding itself and planning a break out for him. But his wife is never coming back to visit him, and he has no idea it's been over two years since her last visit. He cheated on her anyway.

Right now he sips his wine and talks through a small barred window to the brothers in the next cell.

"Vhat time may it be?" He asks looking up and leaning on the wall.

"Hang on boss. Getting the watch, still got those snatching hands I do, from when I was a little kid! Snatched it off one of the guards!"

"It says 5:16."

Comes the voices from the other side of the window.

"Strange, do you notice something missing?" Armel asks.

"Not really, boss."

"Screaming. There should be some screaming."

"It's a mad house boss, there's always screaming."

"No, those boys with their…Matrix, they've stopped. Interesting."

"How so, boss?"

"Recruitment my dear idiots…. Aren't they the monsieur Anderson and monsieur Smith? The two the guards speak of?"

His accent is heavy and he sips his wine. The brothers begin to laugh, and Armel looks over into the next cell where the white man sits alone and silent. Still mourning for a brother. Armel lays back sipping his wine again. He's drank it all, and he throws the empty glass to the ground where it bounces being only plastic and not glass, and he yells to the sane that he wants more wine.

And secretly thinks of the possible new recruitments, who spoke of mad things. He wonders if they have any talent. Anything of benefit to him. But then he thinks that the demons might have eaten their hearts.

King Armel, the prince of Hell in sanity or madness.

-----------

There is a woman, but she is sane. She comes and she goes. She walks along the fence of the Asylum near the outdoor area. She is an elderly black woman, and really should be tending to grandchildren instead of walking near the mad. She comes to sit at a bench and wait for a bus. She feeds the crows while she waits.

-----------

"Wake up, Smith…" Comes a whisper. "Wake up! Come on, wake up!"

The hours pass on, and the night comes, where the mad in their straight jackets must find a pillow on the cold ground or bumpy padded rooms. Smith usually doesn't sleep, or at least doesn't get to sleep until after midnight. He likes to watch Neo fight off sleep until it's a one sided war. Neo often finds uncomfortable positions to sleep, Smith wonders how he does it.

Tonight however Smith is comfortable sleeping. It's a good night to sleep too, the guards have stopped bothering them because they've stopped screaming so much. It seems Neo's little plan is working.

But Smith hears Neo screaming at him, and nudging him, and poking him in the side.

"Smith! It was horrible! It was beautiful!"

Neo's hurting his ribs. Smith turns over and slightly opens his eyes.

"What?" Smith coughs out.

"I had a dream!"

"Everyone has dreams…."

"No! It wasn't just a dream! It was…It was….I saw it, Smith! I saw it!"

"Saw what?"

"It was like the world was on fire…." Neo suddenly goes quiet. "It was a city, Smith. But not like…not like the cities here. It was somewhere else. Somewhere cold and far away… And – and it was burning! There were machines, Smith!"

"Machines…?"

"They were like squids flying in the air as if swimming in the water! They were all grouped together like one, and flying throughout the city, destroying it! And there were men in machines fighting the robots! Don't…do you remember anything like that?"

"No." It is quick and dismissive.

"But it felt…it felt like home."

"This is my home. Go back to sleep."

-------------

Next Chapter: Construct

Let's see who has been reading closely….Who can tell me who's who in the story?


	4. Construct

Neo bites his tongue so he doesn't speak, and closes his eyes from the pain. He looks over at Smith across the room in the opposite corner. Unlike most times Smith is facing him while sitting in the corner, watching him carefully. Neo quickly looks away, and feels Smith smirking at him, silently laughing like Smith always does. And Neo can't help but watch as his eyes wander back to Smith, laughing without laughing at him. Neo gives an angered look at Smith, and then sticks out his tongue at him like a child. And then quickly turns his back to Smith, lying on his side on the ground.

Smith smiles.

You see, after a few days of not screaming, it was becoming incredibly difficult to bottle it all up. The lies they knew to be true, the truly insane, and all that. This need to scream was vented out by excessive talking on Neo's part. This talking was on subject for a time, all about his dreams and their past, but after a while it drifted from that into complete nonsense. This nonsense could have been mistaken for the rambles of madmen, plus there is only so much Smith can take of complete nonsense. So, in order to silence dear Neo, Smith offered him a proposal. If Neo could stay absolutely silent until they are let out of their little cell, well then Neo can call Smith, John, if he liked.

So far the silence has been enjoyable for Smith. It's been four days without a word from Neo. Smith never really expected Neo to go so long in silence he should really stop underestimating him. Smith has enjoyed Neo's moments of almost screaming. Where he writhes in pain, from biting his tongue.

Neo wiggles a little on his side, biting his tongue some more. Silence, utter silence. He hated it now more than ever. He hated it so much; he took comfort from the noise the buckles on his straight jacket made. After all this, Neo would never give Smith a moment of silence. He felt as if he didn't have a mouth, like it was taken away from him. He was afraid for a time, that if he had hands and he reached for his mouth he would find nothing. He was screaming, on the inside, but his mouth wouldn't move.

He hated it.

Then something snapped, and it hurt.

"John…" Neo whispered.

"And so comes an end to a beautiful and simple thing. Yet I suppose everything that has a beginning has an end. You can't call me John either." Smith said smiling.

"John, I think my tongue is bleeding."

"What? Let me see!"

Smith in urgency crawled in his straight jacket to his fallen companion, sitting on his knees and raising his head. Neo turned onto his back and stuck out his tongue to its fullest length. Smith bent down and scanned it, then sat back down.

"It's not bleeding." Smith shook his head.

"Are you sure?" Neo asked clearly worried.

"Do you taste blood?"

Neo's worried look increased, as he turn his stare to the floor, and moved his tongue around his mouth. Then he looked back up at Smith with a look of complete helplessness that only the mad seem to achieve when they walk among the sane and when they do not understand something seemingly simple.

"What does blood taste like?" Neo asked.

Smith was thrown off by the question, and sat back in a moment of thought.

"Well…." Smith began.

But Smith didn't know either. He could picture blood, how it flowed throughout the human body, in contact with the outside world it turned into the deep and hellish red blood was recognized for.

"Um…it's blood…." Smith tried to find the right words. "It doesn't matter anyway, you're not bleeding." He said and dismissed the entire thing.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"All right, John."

"Stop that."

Neo still twisted his tongue throughout his mouth, and sat back down into his corner. His safe corner, his and only his. Not Smith's, but his. He laid his head on the side of the wall, and side.

"Never make me do that again." Neo said.

Smith leaned in closer to him.

"They're going to let us out. They've got to. We've been so good. We haven't struggled with them, we done everything they could ever ask. They have to let us out of here." Smith told him.

"I wonder if Michelle is back…"

"Never mind her! Why do you care so much about her? She's not Trinity, and we have bigger things we must focus on!"

"But…I…."

Smith backed away from him in frustration, and sat farther away. He sighed and Neo looked away to the lovely wall, his wall. His safe wall that never yelled at him. Smith stared at the floor, noticing the subtle differences there were between this side of the floor and his side.

"It's okay." Smith said softly.

Neo said nothing. Smith nudged him with his shoulder.

"It's okay." He repeats.

Neo said nothing.

This is why Smith didn't particularly enjoy talking.

"You know…outside of here…it's the same thing." Neo begins. "Just…white walls and doors…."

"I don't care."

Smith looks towards their small little window in their small little door, and Neo looks over at him.

"I hate this room. I hate it so much." Smith says with such lack of anger, as if he really didn't hate their room, or didn't know how to hate their room. He said it casually and turned to Neo with a smile. "A prison is all it is."

Neo thinks for a moment, but nods in the end.

"Anything beyond here must be better. It has to be better." Smith says smiling.

Smith turns back to their little window again, and leaves only Neo to look at him. And there is silence again, and Neo hates it. He opens his mouth to say something, anything to break the silence, but finds nothing to say. He curls up a little into a ball again, trying not to scream something out. He looks back at Smith again, and frowns.

"Smith…" He begins to say.

"Yes…" Smith turns to him. "Mr. Anderson?"

His mouth hangs open, there's something he should say, something that must be said. Is there anything else to say? There must be, we don't talk a lot when we should. Neo wanted to say something, but he's never said it, and he probably never will again. He wanted to say, "Don't call me that."

Then their door opened to the outside.

"All right, boys! Good news!" Aaron seemingly jumped right in. "Orders straight from the Doctors."

Then Aaron walked right over to them and gently pushed them forward, and started doing something. He started with Neo first, and Smith backed away unsure of what he was doing, Neo looked to Smith in horror also wondering what was going on. It took them a moment to realize that Aaron was only taking off Neo's straight Jacket.

"We can let you out now." Aaron finished.

Then Neo smiled like he smiled when he first, and begins struggling, trying to already run out of the jacket, the horrible, horrible jacket. He jumps nearly trying to get out of it, and Aaron holds him back, laughing from his excitement.

"Hurry up! Let me out! Let me out!" Neo said laughing.

Neo continued to pull at the jacket, still trying to get out, until Aaron finally just pulled it right off of him, and Neo ran out of that room and jumped as he did so. He remembered Smith, and didn't scream at once, but he held it in and jumped up and down. He did a flip but no one saw, and he didn't even know he did it. But he got on his knees and he looked at his hands, and he touched them, then touched his face and his arms, and his back and legs. He laughed at it all. His hands! His hands! He felt his hair, and he rubbed it into a complete mess. Then he went to the wall, and he felt the cold walls. Then he nearly ran into Smith, who seemed to just be standing in the doorway.

"What are you doing?" Neo asked.

"Looking at my hands." Smith said.

"Why? Why not touch something with them?"

"Because I haven't seen them in years." Smith said a little aggressively.

Not really years, but long enough.

He looked over at Neo, and considered what he said, so he reached over to Neo and he touched his hair. And he started fixing it, putting it back to the nice and formal hair instead of the mess Neo himself left it in.

"There." Smith said.

Neo laughed.

Then he looked at their door, the other side of their door and saw something, he touched it, and took it. It was a clipboard with a piece of paper clipped to it. And Neo for the first time in ages, read words. The file was about them. He read their names, and their illnesses.

"Apparently we suffer from severe gaps of amnesia…violent behavior, outbursts, delusions, and possible schizophrenia…." Neo read. "…We don't suffer from schizophrenia!"

"Let me see that." Smith tugged at the clipboard.

"I'll take that!" Aaron grabbed it out of Neo's hands with two straight jackets over his shoulder. "So guys, um, let me so you around I guess. It's nothing really special. You'll learn where everything is in no time."

It took Neo a moment to see that the clipboard was no longer in his hands but in Aaron's. And when Neo did realize this he looked over at Smith, and decided to do something with his hands.

Neo gently punched him in the arm.

"Now I can punch you!" Neo exclaimed.

Smith rubbed his arm for a moment, making his hands into fists, and punched the air rather quickly. Smith smiled and looked at Neo.

"Yeah…well I'm still better at kicking." Neo said.

"Inferior in punching."

"I could kick you in the mouth."

"But I could simply punch you in the mouth with more ease."

"Shut up."

"Hey guys! No fighting!" Aaron interrupted.

Aaron stood in front of them as Neo looked at everything, and began touching everything he could find. And Smith, Smith just stared at his hands, his hands that were his, with uniqueness. A thumbprint that was only his, and no one else's, such a little thing that separated him from so many others. Then he closed his hands, done looking at the palms, but then he noticed something, and he walked over to Neo to tell him.

"It smells out here,…" he told Neo.

"Smells?"

Smith nodded.

"I don't smell anything." Neo said.

"It's faint…but it does."

"Are you sure?"

"Maybe it's the Windex or something, Michael just washed this area, there he is." Aaron interrupted.

The Sane man pointed down the open space to a young boy with a mop, doing his job relentlessly. Michael looked up hearing his name faintly, and he saw Neo and Smith. Neo smiled, and waved at the boy, but Michael quickly looked away. Neo turned to Smith and frowned, wondering what was wrong.

"Sure…Windex…" Smith agreed with the sane man.

But it wasn't Windex. It was something utterly repulsive. Yet it was so faint, he ignored it for the time being and dragged Neo closer to Aaron so that they may listen.

"Yes, well." Aaron began. "This is one of three main halls that lead to the main area, the center sort of, where you can find everything you need. Well…everything we can provide. So, follow me."

It was one of Smith's more recent visits outside their room, and down the hall they walked, passing others in such rooms. Smith could not help but to peer into them whenever they passed one, to see the poor souls in their own little prison.

Soon they entered the main area, and just as Aaron said, there were more hallways and doorways that would provide everything the sane were allowed to give them. It was a large room; empty really except for all the rooms it led to. Though there was the cafeteria visible, where Smith and Neo saw their fellow "insane" men for the first time. One of them was a Frenchman who was sipping cheap wine. Neo saw this man, and this man saw Neo. And this man grinned.

"So this is it, there's the cafeteria. They serve the same food you've been getting, but now you can you know, eat with others. Over in that room is the gaming room, they don't have a lot, just chess and other things. They don't give you cards however, if you ever wanted to play, cause well…someone once tried to eat the cards, and well they sort of got stuck in their throat. There's the outdoor area, but you can't go out there, we're doing some intense gardening."

"Outside!" Neo exclaimed.

Indeed the outside, which was not white, could be seen. The entire back wall was just pretty much glass windows and glass doors. Of course bulletproof glass, so no one rams into the glass to break it and hurt themselves. But it was the outside, it was green and beautiful and bright and warm. Everything the inside wasn't.

"Okay, that leads to the Library, lots of books in there. Down there is the laundry room, Kali works there. Over in that hallway, that's where the staff goes to check in. Over there are the other two hallways. The other rooms are pretty much just other quarters for patients….Yes well…I guess that's pretty much it. Ask around if you get lost…" Aaron walked up to them. "I guess you won't be needing these straight jackets anymore, hopefully anyway. I'll just take them to Kali. No, fighting, okay? No going into locked rooms, no loud screaming, curfew at eight, and don't go down those two hallways or the stairs."

"Why not?" Smith asked.

"Well those two hallways are where we keep the criminally insane, you know, convicts. And the stairs, well no one is allowed up the stairs."

"Why?" Smith again.

"Because we don't want anyone jumping off of there for suicide. Um, don't stray far away from here, okay? I still have to figure out where your new room is."

"You mean we won't be staying in the one we have?" Smith asked.

"Well no, you don't need a padded one anymore…I'll check back with you two later."

Aaron began towards the Laundry room, but Neo grabbed at his sleeve.

This place, this white, white place. The Asylum to which they have lived in for all too long. And now they knew how it worked. Where people ate, slept, played. The others who resided there. The truly mad, not like them. No, no, they're not insane, not them, all they have to do is keep believing in that.

Neo was right. Outside was like inside. White. Smith was beginning to hate the color. Though white wasn't even really a color, merely the absence of color. Either way Smith hated it. Though he did like going outside, and moving his arms, he was indeed disappointed. He would not allow Neo to know such a thing. It was white. That's all it was. Wherever you would look it was all white. Everyone dressed in white, the walls covered in white, the floor white. If you stared at the wall you would be able to trick yourself into thinking you saw not a wall but a room. White, endless white. The Asylum must have gone on forever.

And Smith hoped the rest of the world was not like this.

The World couldn't be like this, he knew it wasn't. It just couldn't be like this. This wasn't right. All this white it didn't seem like it was meant to be there, it didn't seem real. None of this could be real, nothing is pure and white like this. Nothing is so perfect like this. This…this couldn't be real.

"Wait, Morpheus, I mean Aaron, Aaron!" Neo exclaimed.

"What is it?"

"Where's Michelle, is she okay?"

"She's still at home, Neo."

"I didn't hurt her that bad did I?"

"No! No, Neo not because you hurt her. I think…I think her brother died, or some relative, she just taking a few extra days off. She'll be back soon, okay?"

Neo frowned, but slowly nodded. And Aaron left, slightly worrying in the back of his mind what damage those two could do now that they were outside. Neo turned to Smith who was kicking the ground.

"There's something we should consider." Smith said without looking at him.

"What?"

"That all this…" He stomped the ground, "All these people could be fake. Another dream world made just for you and me. A…personal prison."

"A dream world within a dream world?"

"A Construct just for us…. What do you think?"

"I think you're being a little too paranoid." Neo smiled.

Smith didn't frown, he didn't seem disappointed. He just looked up at Neo, then back to the ground.

"Merely something to consider. If it is true then it will be increasingly difficult to find a way out." Smith said softly.

"I don't like the idea that even this isn't real. I don't like it when you say Michelle isn't real." Neo said sadly.

"You're dependent, Mr. Anderson." Smith said, bumping into Neo. "It is a weakness."

"Sometimes…it's a greater weakness to have no one to depend on." Neo whispered, looking up at Smith.

Smith again didn't seem angry or sad; he just looked up at Neo.

"There's always you." Smith said. "Whether I want you or not. I just can't seem to get rid of you."

And Smith gently punched Neo in the arm, and stepped back. Neo laughed. Smith started walking off towards the gaming room. Neo closely follows holding back laughs. And when Neo caught up to Smith he went in front of him, and smiled.

"Like you'd ever want to get rid of me." Neo said.

-----------

Next Chapter: I Know Kung Fu


	5. I Know Kung Fu

"Look you can see the moon…and the stars."

Their new room is bigger, but is also white. The door looks the same with a little window peeking out into the hallway. They now have beds on the opposite sides of the room, just like their corners, but now they have somewhere to sit. They are not the most comfortable beds, and are in fact less fluffy than their padded wall, but they don't have much else to compare it to. They were now the proud owners of a table that was between their two beds and under their window to the outside. It wasn't really a desk, and it was quite flimsy, but strong enough to hold up Neo. Though Neo was skinnier than he once was because of the diet their at the Asylum.

Neo sat on their table on his knees, holding himself up from the bars of their new window. He peered out barely able to see the sky, but he did, and smiled at it. He looked over at Smith, who was now curled up on his bed, lying on the one pillow he had. Neo bent down on the table and sat kneeling over to Smith.

"Come see…" Neo said.

He tugged at Smith's sleeve.

"Come see, come on." He said again.

"I can see from here." Smith mumbled into his pillow.

"Yeah, but you can't see the city." Neo smiled.

"City?"

Smith got up onto the table, hoping the small thing could hold both his and Neo's weight. He held up his head, and Neo pointed to it.

"See?" Neo asked. "There it is. The city!"

Little lights so far away they blended together to make one artificial star that was resting on the ground. They couldn't really see many of the buildings, but they saw the lights in the night. And all the smaller lights that they knew were cars. It was so far away, but not out of reach. Not out of reach. Neo closed one eye and put his fingers around the city, trying to take it away into his hand. And Smith watched Neo, then turned back to the little star that was the city.

From up there they could now see the outside. Telephone poles leading to the city, one road going towards and away from the city. A few streetlights lighting the way. They could see green grass and green trees from where they were, and they thought it was one of the most beautiful things in the world.

Then they saw an old woman walking on the sidewalk, to a bench that was a bus stop.

"Let's go to sleep." Smith said.

"No way. I want to watch the sun come back up." Neo replied.

Smith got down from the table and fell on his bed, looking up at Neo.

"You need sleep." Smith told him.

"No. Besides…I keep having those dreams."

"What dreams?"

"Never mind."

Neo didn't look at Smith, but he pushed his face into the window, and shook his head.

"What dreams?" Smith persisted.

"…People keep dying in my dreams. And I don't know why….People I don't even recognize, I know you wouldn't know them…All these people I don't even know, being ripped apart."

Neo looked at Smith then bit his lip and jumped down from the table onto Smith's bed where he whispered in Smith's ear.

"The machines…they were killing everyone, and I couldn't do anything to stop it."

Smith looked up at him.

"Go to sleep, Mr. Anderson. It will get better."

But it didn't. And when Neo slept he dreamed those dreams. He watched as people died, and a little girl cried out for her daddy. And for a moment, Neo thought that she was calling for him, until she was picked up by her mother and they started running into a cave. And then a machine looked at him, and stabbed the man who was shooting at it and was standing right next to him. There was fire, but the fire began to change. And the entire world went black, and turned green. When he woke up in the middle of the night he washed his hands, believing there was blood on them, and he sat on that table, and watched the sun rise.

---------

"You didn't get any sleep, did you?" Smith asked.

"Why do you say that?"

"You look terrible."

"I need a shower, where did Morpheus say the bathrooms were?"

"I don't think he did."

"Well I heard someone say something about showers…."

Indeed Neo did need a shower, and he would need a nap in an three hours when fatigue would set in. His hair was a mess, due to his turning in sleep. And he had bags under his eyes, nonetheless he seemed quite alert.

"You need one." Smith encouraged.

Neo bit his lower lip as he followed Smith. He wasn't really sure where Smith was going, but he was pretty sure Smith didn't know where he was going either. But that really didn't matter, it wasn't like they could get lost, and dependently Neo followed closely behind Smith as they walked down the hallway. There was a girl sitting in the hallway, she didn't move even as they had to step over her. Neo looked back at the girl, but she didn't look up.

"Where do you want to go?" Smith asked.

"Hey look there's Michael! Hey Kid!"

Neo grabbed Smith's shoulder and waved out to the young boy who was carrying some laundry to Kali. He saw Neo and quickly looked away and started walking the other direction.

"What'd I do this time?" Neo asked.

"Maybe he just doesn't like you."

"What's not to like about me?" Neo asked innocently.

"Well, for one…you're in an insane asylum."

"Oh, right…"

Now a little sad, Neo mopes behind Smith as Smith wanders towards something that catches those brown eyes. And instantly Neo smiles and runs ahead of Smith.

"We can go outside!" Neo exclaimed, jumping and pointing to the outdoor area.

--------------

"Now what?" Smith asked, rather happier than usual.

They stood outside, not so far from the exit to the Asylum. They could already see where the outside they were allowed to frolic in ended, a white fence pierced through the ground. It was concrete and over ten feet tall so they couldn't see the city or any of the rest of the outside. There weren't many trees, but a few Neo felt like he could climb, and a few Smith knew he would have to rescue Neo from when he would get stuck. Neo never seemed that fond of heights. There was a small little pond where they saw benches where they could sit. A worker at the Asylum was leading a group of five people around. There was a path in a giant circle all around the outside.

And there was a white butterfly Neo liked, and wanted to ask it how to fly. Smith saw a crow instead in the tree, and he liked it.

"Now what?" Smith asked again.

Neo didn't hear him for a moment as he was busy watching the butterfly. He blinked and finally realized Smith was talking to him, and suddenly stood up straight, and looked to the sky, putting his finger on his chin like he was thinking.

"Oh, um…." Neo started.

Then his eyes wander.

"Hey, look a shower!" Neo points.

"Mr. Anderson…that is a hose." Smith says.

Neo looks over at Smith still smiling.

"Sometimes we must look beyond what is in plain sight…Mr. Smith."

Neo walked towards the hose, and Smith sighs.

"We're going to get in trouble." Smith whispered.

---------------

"Hey, I'm sorry for everything, Kiddo." Aaron hugged her.

"It's okay…I'm fine really." She said.

"You sure?"

"Yeah, really, I'm good. Hard getting up though."

"Sure is, hey uh, job out for you in the outside area, okay?"

"Sure."

Michelle smiled her bittersweet smile she had been wearing for the past few weeks. She nodded and waved goodbye to Aaron, and she walked down the halls, nodding to the sweet boy by the name of Michael. She put her hands over her arms, covering what little scratches were left from Thomas A. Anderson. She didn't hate him for it, she didn't even blame him for it. She just…was in a bad place in her life then.

Her brother was dead.

Michelle stepped outside and stood there for a moment not moving. Then she heard it.

"…Trinity!"

She turned and saw him. The man named Neo sitting on his knees, with Smith standing beside him, holding the hose. And the hose still passed on even in that moment of awkward silence as Neo smiled at her and she only stared. The water dripped from his head and down his neck to a puddle beside him. He stopped for a moment and started shaking his head getting the water out of his hair and he ran towards her. He embraced her and held her tightly, so quickly she didn't even notice. He buried his head in her shoulder.

"Michelle, Michelle, I mean Michelle…I'm sorry, Michelle…I'm sorry for everything, I didn't mean it, really I didn't mean too…." He told her.

And Smith stood there watching them, the hose still on. He dropped the hose and stood there, watching them. Just stood there and watched them. He turned his head in disgust, turning off the hose, feeling rejected. He wouldn't say anything however.

"I'm sorry…I'm so sorry." Neo kept repeating.

"It's okay, Neo." She pushed him off gently. "Really it's okay. Hey, you're outside!"

"Yeah…they let us out."

Michelle looked over Neo to see Smith staring at them. Neo smiled at her, and it was another awkward silence, that the mad didn't seem to notice. Then Neo felt a tug at his sleeve, and turned around to see Smith who lowered his head. Neo didn't know what Smith was trying to say and stared at him.

"Hey! I got an idea!" Neo exclaimed.

And that's when Neo punched Smith.

"Ow!" Smith held the side of his face. "Why did you do that?"

Neo smiled and laughed.

"We're outside now, we can fight!" Neo exclaimed. "Aaron only said no fighting inside!"

"He meant outside too, Mr. Anderson." Smith said, containing some anger.

"Oh…."

Neo turned back to Michelle.

"Can we fight, Michelle? Please! Please! We won't hurt each other! We're really good so we won't hit that hard! Please, Michelle!" Neo begged.

Michelle's mouth dropped open slightly, and her eyes looked over at Smith who was looking away and rubbing his face.

"It calms us down, Michelle, so…we won't fight inside!" Neo tried.

"All right…I guess…just don't get anyone else involved."

"Thank you Michelle! Thank you so…"

But before Neo could finish, Smith punched him.

--------------

They were keeping their word so far. Either of them were really that hurt, maybe some bruises. They sometimes stopped their fists just before they hit each other, and stated that it would hurt. They fought just in a small empty area below a small hill, and Michelle sat and watched them. They were really good, and she was very impressed, and a little scared. She wouldn't be able to tell you how the fight went, or who was winning most of the time. They moved to fast, and did too much too quickly for her to keep up.

She did know though, that the entire time they were smiling.

Neo attempted a high kick to the chest, but Smith bent backwards, a little too far and had to make it into a back flip. Neo jumped back thinking he was going to try and kick him in the chin. Neo charged at Smith before he could recover, but Smith was able to duck a punch. Smith took the offensive, punching Neo at the face and then the chest.

And far away other inmates, including a boy named Michael, a Frenchman, and a little pyro, were watching.

"Did you catch the game last night?" Aaron asked.

"No I was out with my brother." Tank replied.

"Oh, how's he doing?"

"Good, good, needed help with his car and we hung around. Got to see my little niece and nephew, they're so great."

"You're an uncle?"

"Oh yeah."

"Cool."

They were walking, the two sane men in an Asylum. Walking towards duties and other such things. Walking down the hall to the outside. And when Aaron opened the door for Tank, they saw it. Neo and Smith fighting.

"Oh shit!" Tank yelled.

And the two ran towards Michelle who they could see in the distance.

"What the hell is going on?" Aaron yelled at her.

"It's okay! I told them they could fight. They're being really good about it." She said quickly.

"You can't have them fight! They'll get hurt!" Tank yelled.

"No, they promised they wouldn't hurt each other." Michelle explained.

That's when Smith for once kicked, believing it would be a move Neo would not anticipate. He was correct in this theory as he did a spin kick, and Neo went flying through the air, flipping as he fell, and finally landing on his face. And it took everyone a moment to realize Neo was down. Aaron went running down towards him, as Tank followed dragging Michelle.

"See what happens?" Aaron exclaimed.

"He's not hurt." Smith said quietly as he saw the others.

But Neo wasn't moving as his face was buried in the ground. And as Aaron gently pushed Neo on his back, it was shown. Neo was laughing.

"Hi Morpheus! I mean Aaron!" Neo said.

"I told you he wasn't hurt." Smith said, but no one really heard him.

Smith was obviously annoyed by the sane's presence and interference, and their down right ability to ignore him. Smith lowered his fists and then his shoulders, and watched the sane care for Neo.

"Neo, are you okay?"

"Of course I am. Why?" Neo said getting up. He smiled over at Smith and ran to him. "You dog you! You never kick! You never, ever kick! Though it was sort of fun flying through the air…."

Smith smiled slightly, and kicked the ground.

"Let's do it again!" Neo said jumping into a fighting stance.

"No!" Aaron grabbed him.

"Why not?" Neo asked wiggling out of Aaron's grip.

And for a moment Aaron didn't have an answer.

"Oh…would you like to learn?" Neo concluded.

"I don't think that's why he stopped us." Smith told him.

"Well…it'd be nice to at least teach them, right?" Neo said.

"Teach us?" Tank raised an eyebrow.

"Why not?" Smith said silently with a tad of reluctance.

Neo jumped towards Tank and looked at him for a moment. The sane were suddenly at the mercy of the insane. Neo was so enthusiastic and so happy just to see Michelle and get outside. He moved too quickly in a madman's haste. The sane were apparently too taken back to say stop to the insane One. Perhaps they were all just curious as to what Neo intended to do.

"For Tank…Drunken Kickboxing." Neo smiled.

Neo began demonstrating the basic stance of Drunk Kickboxing, which was basically boxing in that the feet had to always be moving. He smiled at Tank, and Tank laughed.

"Sounds like my kind of Kung Fu!" Was the man's reply.

"Not Kung Fu. Drunken Kickboxing." Smith corrected behind Neo.

Neo nodded and jumped in front of Aaron and did the same scanning him up and down.

"For the great Morpheus…classic Tae Kwon Do. With few kicking, the legs are not as strong in age." Neo bent down in a fighting stance, raising his right arm above his head.

"Classic, huh?"

Neo nodded.

"Smith you teach Morpheus, I mean Aaron. You barely kick ever." Neo said.

And Smith watched Neo gladly walk to Michelle, and stood next to Aaron. He didn't like Aaron, he never did. Perhaps it was just a natural rejection, being that Aaron was the first man that they remember seeing when they first came to the Asylum. At that point anyone they saw they were going to blame for them staying here, maybe Smith just hasn't gotten over that fact. Either way, Smith did not like Morpheus or Aaron. He just didn't, he never told Neo or show any rejection to Aaron, he just didn't like him.

Smith sighed as he stood next to Aaron, putting up his fists.

"Women have the advantage of being more agile and quicker than men in martial arts. My opinion differs with Smith, in that I believe agility is more key than brute force." Neo told Michelle. "But, if you'll…let me…"

Neo slowly approached Michelle and put his hand on her back very gently. It was then Neo recognized something he hadn't seen too often in these days. He saw sadness, and Michelle was no where to say no to him, to occupied with something else, something beyond the Asylum's walls. She seemed smaller somehow now, and quieter. But Neo went on leading her.

"Just…um…bend back." Neo said. "Keep your knees straight and don't lay on my hand, try to support yourself."

"Don't drop me."

"Of course not."

Michelle did as Neo had told her, and she tried to do it. But she wasn't really one to go to the gym and train or exercise. But she bent down, and was surprised how far she went. She tried not to look at Neo, because even after all this time, he still had that same hope in his eyes that he had when she first saw him, and he called her Trinity. That same look that was asking her to be that woman that might not even exist. Same purity, same helplessness. But now it was happy and more hopeful than ever.

"See?" Neo told her.

He pulled her back up and backed up for a moment.

"This is a very nice move, I don't particularly do it a lot, it calls for a lot of…agile strength." He said and she nodded. "Now, what you're going to do is, well it's a kick you see. But it calls for a swift movement of both the arms and the leg, all while jumping."

"Jumping?"

Neo nodded, and demonstrated. He raised his arms and with it his right leg, his hands curled up leaving to fingers pointed to the ground on each hand. Then he got back down.

"It's meant to kick someone in the face with this leg see? So you have to jump. You'd start out like this, jumping, and just raise everything up, you know?" Neo went on. "So…um…"

Neo slowly went behind Michelle and carefully placed his hands on her hips.

"Don't worry, I'll lift you, Trinity…"

She looked up.

"I mean Michelle!"

Neo let go of her hips and backed away, afraid of what he just did. She looked back and with that same sadness spoke.

"It's okay, you…you can call me Trinity. I don't mind." She told him.

He smiled at this.

"I forget what this move is called…Crouching grasshopper or something." He placed his hands on her hips again. "Okay, one…two…three!"

He lifted her, and she raised her leg and her arms. It was enough to make Neo believe again, that this was his Trinity again. He couldn't hold her as long as he thought he could so she he quickly brought her back down to the ground. Where he bent close to her nearly laying his chin on her shoulder and he whispered in her ear.

"I'm sorry about your brother." He told her.

"If you can hit me, then hit me!" Smith yelled at Aaron, as he dodged all of the man's punches.

"No, Smith!" Neo yelled, and jumped on top of him. "Don't kill him!"

"Get your elbow out of my eye!" Smith yelled.

"Oh sorry."

"Ow, why do you keep hitting me today? Mr. Whoa-I-Know-Kung-Fu?" Smith mocked.

"Oh great impression Mr. Talk-so-very-very-slow." Neo mocked back.

The sane laughed for a moment, and Aaron rubbed his neck in a bit of embarrassment. And Tank was busy asking for his turn already, he wanted to try this Drunken Kickboxing. And Trinity…Trinity only smiled a bittersweet smile, that made Neo sad to look at her. Because he knew there was nothing more he could to make it better. And as Neo grew sadder, she grew sadder. It was Smith who saw this and made a mental note of the observation and shook his head, what a sad circle they had gotten themselves entangled in.

But somewhere inside Smith, somewhere he wasn't yet aware of, somewhere deep and cold, he liked seeing the two of them in pain. He wouldn't know it for a long time, to him in that day he felt nothing. Not rejection or resentment, he just didn't feel anything. But it was something, and it was anger.

At least he would have Neo to himself when they were together in their room that night.

Unknown to them a Frenchman laughed at them, saying how perfect this all will be, and getting drunk again on cheap wine so he wouldn't remember his wife left him, and the night he can't remember when he signed divorce papers inside his cell.

Michael watches in a tree.

And the doctors of the Asylum watched in their office behind the blinds, writing on their clipboards, whispering to each other, different opinions yelled out at once, and one choice coming out of this within minutes. What a strange case this Neo and Smith. Perhaps…even threatening.

-----------------

Next Chapter: In My Dreams

Please R/R, reviews make me so happy.

Sort of a Neo themed chapter, but it had to be that way. Michelle came back. Don't worry, it'll be more divided in the future, and there will be Neo chapters and Smith chapters (Smith chapters more towards the end, actually), and maybe outside character chapters. I'm not really sure on that one yet.

Anyway I'm leaving Wednesday night to go to the East Coast and visit New York, Boston, and Washington D.C. for 10 days, so I won't be around for a while. But I'll be writing drafts everywhere I go. Andy will watch the house, if there's anything uploaded in these ten days that suck, it's him and not me. Though I doubt he'd do that, but as good measure I made pretty much everything on my computer password protected.

Working on a movie script for Andy, transcribing it, meaning all I have to do is edit the script according to the final cut movie. It's nothing big just a small Sci-fi original movie. I have to get that done by Wednesday.

In older news that I forgot I haven't mentioned here (and if I did, I apologize): I worked on transcribing another script much earlier this year for Andy and the guys. Check out my name in the credits, I'd post a link but won't let me. If you want to go out of way to see me, you can. Try searching IMPS the Relentless for the official site. Go to the click chapter one at the top, then clip credits. I'm somwhere in there. Of course you don't have to, I don't care.

See you guys in ten days!

Love, Mae "Shadow" Catt.


	6. In My Dreams

"In my dreams…sometimes…I see Trinity, and something happens, something bad. She starts to fall, and I want to scream…but I can't. And I want to move…to save her, but I can't."

Neo is smiling, he is happy even if he speaks of such sad things. He is happy because he's dreams of Trinity, if nothing else he dreams of her. He whispers to himself in his bed, knowing that Smith is asleep. He waited until he was asleep, because he likes to tell himself about his dreams, so he won't forget them.

"But there's another thing…It's getting more and more difficult to see her face. I used to see all the time, and recognize it so well. But…I don't know, I can't see it as clearly as I did, and it's harder to remember. I know Michelle isn't Trinity, but when I try really hard to form her face…Sometimes all I see Michelle…."

Perhaps Neo is telling his new ceiling about his dreams, like he used to in his old padded cell. He smiles up at the ceiling that is slightly shown from the light of the full moon.

He watched Michelle leave that day. When Smith and he told everyone they should practice and they had to leave. Michelle said she was going to go comfort her mother in the passing of her brother. She seemed sad. And Neo walked with her for a while as far as his cell with her. He said goodbye to her, and he saw in the setting sun Michelle driving away, back to her home. He imagined her home, and her bed. It all seemed so warm and familiar to him. But Smith seemed very annoyed with him, and he didn't like it. Neo always knew if Smith was annoyed it really meant he was pretty angry, just not allowing himself to seem that way.

To make it up to Smith he spoke with him, as much as Smith allowed him to. Smith asked questions about his dreams, and Neo explained them, leaving out the fact that most of them had Trinity in it. Smith still seemed annoyed and went to bed rather early. Neo was sad. Smith was sad. Michelle was sad. Neo's entire world was sad on such a happy day.

He would have thought about it some more and how he could make it better, but he had already fallen asleep into his own little dream world where people seem to always die.

---------

There wasn't any noise when he woke up. It was so quiet Smith had tried to go back to sleep. But…he couldn't. It wasn't that he wasn't tired, it was just…something…something wouldn't allow him to. He felt something in the back of his mind, screaming at him not to go to sleep. Something…grabbing at him. Some kind of tingling feeling, the sane get that makes their hairs on the back of their neck, stand up. And for a time, as Smith laid on his side, looking at the wall, he could have sworn someone was there, behind him. Believing it was a doctor, Smith did nothing, but as time passed he knew it wasn't that. It wasn't Neo, it was something horrible. And as he believed it crept closer, Smith swung his arm around, ready to hit whoever was there. And when he looked back, there was only emptiness and Neo.

And Neo was shaking.

Not thrashing but shaking slightly all over. His hands were gripping his sheets, his entire self, tightened up, and still he shook. And in his sleep he shook his head. Smith sat close to him, watching him closely. Smith didn't know if he should wake him. He wondered if it was Neo that wasn't letting him go back to sleep. He had never before been woken up by Neo's dreams, and often didn't believe they were as bad as Neo told. But now...now Smith believes.

Then Neo began mumbling, quietly, too quietly to understand.

Neo begins shaking his head harder.

"No..." Neo whispers.

He's biting his tongue. He's trying not to scream, trying to keep it in. He's trying not to say anything, how can he,he can't, he can't speak. There's nothing he can say to make any of this better. He has no mouth, there is nothing he can do. He knows this and now all he wants to do is scream. Scream and make it go away, make it all go away. He's shaking his head, and kicking away his covers, he's squeezing the sheets, and he's pushing up on his bed. He's trying to let it go, scream and scream, he arches his back, just want to scream.

"No...no...no...No! No! No! No!" He screams.

Smith is thrown back by the sudden screaming, and grabs at Neo.

"I will not be used! I will not be used!"

"Neo!"

"Stop it! Stop it! You can't use me!"

"Neo!"

"Let me go! Let me go! Let me go!"

Thrashing, thrashing at it all, kill it, choke it to death, just make it go away. Finally Smith pulls at his arm and pushes down on his chest so he falls back to the bed, and he covers Neo's mouth.

"Neo! It's me!" Smith yells into his ear.

Neo still doesn't open his eyes. He only calms down, and lays his head back down, slowly loosening his hands and legs which are still raised. He breathes deeply, and still shakes his head.

"Smith?" He whispers, clearly afraid.

"Yes, Neo. Open your eyes." Smith tells him.

"What will I see?" Neo says quietly.

Smith was going to ask him what he meant, but he knew already. He was afraid, Neo was afraid what he would wake up to. That hellish city again or to the asylum. Both were not so great, but at least Neo would not see people dying anymore.

"We're here, in our cell, at the asylum." Smith told him.

Neo was still shaking, as he grabbed at Smith's wrist.

"I'm scared." Neo told him.

And Neo opened those brown eyes of him.

"What happened?" Smith asked.

"What do you mean?" Neo asked confused.

"You were yelling 'I will not be used.'" Smith explained.

Neo frowned at him, and sat up, not letting go of Smith's wrist. He dragged Smith to sit on his bed next to him, and he looked at him in fear. Neo shook his head.

"I can't remember this one…." Neo told him. "I remember…seeing myself unlike most of the time…and I wanted…to scream, but…everything else I can remember in such detail! I can see it again and again in my head! But this one Smith! This one I can't remember! I know! There was someone telling me things, and I wanted him to stop, and I wanted…I…"

"He was using you." Smith said.

"No! It wasn't just him! I felt like they were all using me!"

"Who?"

"Everyone! Like my entire life I was just…planned out in front of me, and I was supposed to do this for everyone! But…I didn't want to Smith! They couldn't make me! They couldn't use me like this!"

Neo's hand is shaking, and he's looking at Smith as if wanting him to make it all go away, to explain everything to him, to make it all better and make it reasonable. He's breathing deeply, as if he was going to cry, and he looked up in the darkness and closed his eyes. He still gripped on Smith's wrist and he wasn't going to let go, he curled up into a ball like he always did, and he made sure Smith was still there. He made sure they wouldn't take Smith away, he made sure Smith was with him, and was always going to be with him, to make everyone just go away. Smith was there so they couldn't use him again.

Smith sat next to him, unsure of what to do. He could only stare at Neo, and for a time he felt utterly helpless. All Smith could do was let Neo hang on to his wrist, and stay there with him. He wanted there to be something more he could have done. He wanted someone there to tell him what he should do, what was his next step. But all he could do was just stay there. And he did, he did the entire night, until Aaron came with a red pill and a blue pill.

------------

"I'm sorry I kept you up all night." Neo said to Smith as he followed him again.

"It is fine." Smith said.

Neo lowered his head. He was sad, he was scared, and becoming a little paranoid. He looked at things differently than yesterday, and he had his hands around his arms, and he seemed all around depressed. He still held Smith's wrist as Smith walked in front of him until he stopped at a little bench near the cafeteria.

Smith sat Neo down, pushing him onto the seat and soon sat next to him. Neo swayed from side to side for a second as if he was dizzy, and soon came to lean on Smith's shoulder. Smith nudged him off and turned to him. Smith took a moment where there was nothing but silence to think of what he could say to Neo. But Smith found nothing and he only closed his mouth, and Neo returned to leaning on his shoulder.

Neo looked at his hands and the hung and sat on his lap, and he hung his head down, traumatized from his whole ordeal. He didn't understand it though. He had never been so…violated so afraid of his dreams. Even as he stood and watched people die he was never so…so…shaken by it all. People died in his dreams he had gotten used to it somehow. But this dream…this one he couldn't remember so clearly, this one was different than the rest. People didn't die, there were no other people. It was only him, and he was alone, watching his entire life on the screens of small televisions. He felt…like a puppet. Like his existence did not matter, that he was just…a little spec of dust. Neo started curling up into a ball but Smith stopped him.

"Maybe we can do something that will make you feel better." Smith said.

Smith lowered his head to try and get Neo to look at him.

"Michelle will want another lesson…." Smith said reluctantly.

"Trinity…." Neo whispered.

Smith frowned, it seemed all his attempts were useless.

"You have to pull yourself together, Mr. Anderson. People are going to take notice of your behavior…The doctors, they'll take you away." Smith told him.

But this only made Neo more scared, and Smith saw his fault.

"It's okay, it's okay." Smith tried. "We…should get your mind off this. Wait here, I'll go look for something we can do."

Smith rose to his feet, and had to get Neo to let go of his wrist. Neo frowned and began falling over to his right, and Smith had to push him back up, and try to balance him. And this, was very, very worrying. Smith stood there for a moment, making sure Neo wouldn't fall over, and frowning. Neo…didn't see the frown, he was looking at the ground, his mind somewhere far away. And still, there was nothing Smith could have said.

But he did wonder for a moment, where Neo really was.

And in the next moment, he wanted to go there too.

Smith walked away.

There was a bulletin board near the cafeteria that always listed daily activities that were rather dull, but at least they were something to do. There were other things on the board Smith really didn't care about, and had no idea what they meant. There was however a map, that he did take time to look at, and he did notice the Criminal Insane area. But there was a rather long list of activities, more than he had expected. He put his hand to his chin, and he had no idea what Neo would want to do. He didn't care, it didn't matter, anything would have sufficed, anything that would get Neo back from wherever he was.

"What's wrong with Neo?"

Smith nearly jumped back out of surprise as he turned to see Michael staring up at him.

"Excuse me?" Smith coughed.

"What's wrong with Neo, he seems…down…"

Michael was never really good at socializing, it was all due to being very shy as a young child. He stared up at Smith, his hands shaking behind his back, and his knees were almost buckling. He would never have spoken up to Smith, but he couldn't do it to Neo, he just…couldn't.

"He…didn't have a good night's sleep." Smith explained.

"Oh…"

Michael had more to say, but it wasn't coming out of his mouth. Smith, assuming their little meeting was over went back to studying the list.

"What are you looking at?" Michael asked.

"…Activities." Smith said, rather annoyed. "…For Neo."

"Oh! You should try the Art class! He'll love it! I'm in that, it's really neat, I think we're painting today, but it's non-toxic paint right, but it's really cool, you do know the color wheel right? The teacher, she's nice, taught it to us last week, and well…"

Something within Michael just sparked and the Kid who never spoke, and so much to say. Sadly Smith put up his hand to stop him.

"Art class?" Smith asked, and Michael nodded. "When?"

"In an hour, just down the hall past the Library, you can't miss it!"

------------

"Art class?" Neo whispered.

"Yes." Smith nodded.

"Can't I just go back to bed?"

"And what? Sleep?"

"…No…think…"

"No, Mr. Anderson."

"But…"

------------

When they got there, there weren't that many people there, and it was all very quiet. It wasn't a big room anyway, but everyone was assigned a canvas and were sat in a circle and the teacher would be in the middle. There were the three basic colors in front of them, extra secondary colors were being passed around if no one wanted to mix their colors. Neo didn't particularly like the classroom, for an art class it was very white, just like everything else in that Asylum. Their teacher was Ms. Cas, who spoke very nice and slowly.

Neo sat there, and saw Michael hiding behind his canvas. Smith meanwhile was standing in the corner, he didn't feel like painting.

It was very quick, too quick in fact, Neo didn't know what to do. Paint? He doesn't remember painting, what is he supposed to paint? Neo sat and stared at the empty canvas, in all its white glory. He hated the white. He wanted to put something on it, just to make the white go away, too much in that place was white. But there was nothing Neo could think of, so he stared at it, and he waited until the canvas would stop being white.

"Here, sir, you can sit and paint if you like, there's an extra seat." Ms. Cas said walking over to Smith.

"Oh, no thank you, I'm only here to observe."

"Oh, but everyone needs to paint and express themselves."

"There's nothing I wish to express to you." Smith said annoyed.

"Nonsense sir, painting helps lift the soul. You can paint anything you like, anything at all, and we'll hang it up later in the staff hallway." Ms. Cas smiled.

"I don't want to." Smith continued.

"If you paint, you'll feel better."

"I sincerely doubt that."

Neo watched for a moment Smith bicker with the teacher, it made him want to smile, and Neo was quite happy that his question was answered without him having to really ask. So Neo picked up his paintbrush, and looked at the rather large canvas. He turned it on its side, and decided to start with some red, and saved some green for later.

There aren't many people in this class, and they are painting rather simply things. A dog, a bird in a tree, Michael paints a robot. He likes robots. Smith was defeated by the Ms. Cas, and was given a seat next to Neo to paint. Neo told him not to look at his painting until he was done, and Smith asked what he should paint.

Smith considered what most people paint, they paint things they know, things that they can recognize, and often things that are very close to him. Smith began thinking of what he could paint. This took critical thinking on Smith's part, as he admits he is not the most creative person, but he did know what he didn't want to paint. A dog, and birds, these were simple things. In the end though, Smith's painting would look the most simple, even though it means so much more to him.

Others finished far before Neo, as he seemed to be in a bit of moment. And from sadness he had been taken into excitement, and he was painting much faster. He knew what he wanted to paint, he knew exactly what it looked like. It was a strange thing, and people were crowding around Neo to watch him. Michael would try jumping over the crowd, but found it easiest to just crawl beneath them.

"Hi, Kid!" Neo waved at him on the floor.

Michael crawled back into the crowd and ran away. Neo frowned.

And when it was all done, Neo had some paint on his cheek, and some in his hair, but he didn't really notice. When it was over, people cheered for him, and many of the sane, once again questioned Neo's sanity, and his happy smile.

-------------

"It…looks like a battle." Smith said.

They stood in the staff hallway, even if they weren't allowed, but Neo said he wanted to see his painting hung up.

"It is." Neo said, no longer happy. "It's…the last one."

Neo was a bit happy, and wondered now that since he put this dream on a canvas that maybe it would stop haunting his dreams. But he was more sad than anything again. He remembered the fear he had earlier, and it came back to him. And he hated his painting now, he hated it. It was so horrible, it showed so much pain, why would he make such a thing? Why did he have to see such things? Now the whole world had to see what he saw…but at least Smith could see now, and understand why he wakes up so often in the middle of the night. Neo frowned at his painting, and after he was done looking at it, he would go to his bed in his cell, so he wouldn't have to look at it, and no one would have to look at him. Especially Trinity.

They stood, staring up at Neo's painting, made with so much red. It was a city, burning. A city deep underground, near the core of the Earth where it was still warm. A city, the last city, built into the caves of the Earth. Old and rusty metal used to make the dock, the ships are all gone, Neo isn't exactly sure where they are. There is so much fire, and so much blood. The world is on fire, just like Neo said. And there's…a swarm of something, that Neo calls machines, they're tearing throughout the city. To the right of the canvas was the city's main communication building, and to the left are the swarm of machines circling around it, and below is the fire, and the bodies, and the blood. But near the top…near the top it is green, green coding and it fades into the red and black of the city. Though he didn't have that long to finish it, and put in details, and most things were blurry, but it was still amazing.

"It was a war?" Smith asked.

"Yes…this is what is in my dreams, Smith. This is what I see, and I watch…" Neo said.

"Who won?"

"I…don't know."

Smith looked back to the painting and sighed.

"This place, is a dream world. A prison for the mind, and we are caught in it. Agents work for the dream world, they locked us up in here. And, we are survivors of a war?" Smith tried to clear up.

"This place wasn't in the Matrix, Smith. It was outside of it. We. We, were outside of it."

"From the look of it, I think it's safe to say these…machines are the keepers of the Matrix. If the Matrix is indeed a prison." Smith looked to Neo. "And if this dream is a memory, and there was a war."

Neo only nodded.

"What is that green code at the top?" Smith asked.

"I have no idea." Neo admitted. "…What about your painting?"

Smith's painting was of spirals…three spirals going across the page. Three spirals, the circles growing in size, then disappearing again. The beginning of these spirals is unsure, nor is the end. Smith only knows, whatever made them, went very, very fast.

"I don't know what it is, but I've seen it before." Smith said.

-------------

Talk of Neo's painting spread quite quickly. It was described as a nightmare, a burning hell, with demons, insect machines flying across the sky, if at all there was a sky in the painting. It went through to a Frenchman who sees demons, and it made him grin. The talk of flames spread to a little pyro who wants to see this fire so bad. And Michael…Michael who actually saw it, he doesn't know what to really think of it. The speaking of the painting soon reached the sane, who gazed upon it in their insane-free hallway. And they stared at it, and were once again afraid of Neo.

"Neo…painted this?" Michelle, Trinity asked.

"Yeah, yeah he did." Aaron told her.

Michelle, Trinity, put her hand to her mouth in fear. She didn't know what to say about it, what to think about it. Neo…Neo the man that seemed so happy and sad to see her, did he really think of these things? A hell? A decaying city? So many people dying…? Was Neo always like this? Did he always think such horrible and dark things? How could that be? How…could Neo who smiles at her, who dreams of her, think of these horrible things?

Michelle was going to stay cautious to Neo, she knew she had to now. Who knew what the madman was capable of? Who knew what he really was planning?

Soon the painting had spread to the doctors, they ordered it taken away, and given to them for study.

--------------

Next Chapter: As One

Preview to next chapter:

"Excuse, me. Miss, we're looking for a friend, we think he might be staying here."

"Oh, may I have your names?"

"Jones, Matt Jones, and he's Adam..."

"Brown." The one behind him said, looking at all the insane people.


	7. Felt Something

Smith felt nothing. What he felt, if he felt, he did not recognize. At the moment he was sitting down on a park under a tree Neo was climbing. Beside Smith was Neo's lunch, Smith was not hungry, but will most likely eat Neo's crackers. Smith watched Neo. Smith felt nothing.

Smith had before felt things. Yes, he knew frustration very well; he knew sadness, and happiness. But at the moment, Smith thought he felt nothing. He wasn't bored, he was never really bored. How could he be bored? He had spent most of his life that he can remember in a white padded room, in a straight jacket. No, he would never allow himself to be bored, he enjoyed, using the word lightly of course, looking at things. Observing them, studying them, understanding what they thought and how they lived. Neo was interesting to observe, he was always so happy. Smith wasn't always happy, but he wasn't sad.

Smith watched Neo climb the tree, Neo had left his shoes behind, complaining he could get more traction without them, but now he complains his feet hurt. Sometimes Smith wonders if Neo just says things to him, because there is no one else to say them to.

Neo was given a sketchbook today from Ms. Cas, she said Neo was very talented and his gift should be put to use.

Ms. Cas, however did not give Smith anything.

Smith felt nothing.

The sketchbook was currently open on the ground, Neo had left it there. It was open to a more detailed drawing of a machine, Neo wasn't done and told Smith not took look at it. Smith did anyway. Many eyes, many legs, claws, blades, a killing machine, Smith observed. Smith was not afraid of it, as Neo was, being afraid of it even though he was the one drawing it. Smith…did not say it, but thought it looked in a way familiar.

There are many things Smith has learned not to say to Neo, or to anyone else, it would endanger his relationship with Neo, and how everyone perceives him.

Smith is wondering about his past. He wonders why he does not dream like Neo, why he cannot see into his past. He wonders why everyone likes Neo more than him. He wonders why Neo likes them back. He wonders why what little he remembers…have nothing to do with a war.

When Smith goes to sleep he does not dream. He wonders why. He wants to dream. Smith wonders who he is, what purpose does his existence serve.

Smith wanted to dream. He wanted to know who he was. He wanted to be free. And he was discovering this is a very difficult thing to keep inside, and not scream.

And that is around the time Neo falls out of the tree, and onto his back. Neo took a moment, giggling silently, and just laid on the ground. Smith would have asked if he was all right, but Smith at the moment was trying to go somewhere. He wasn't sure where he wanted to go, or how to get there. He knew of it, from Neo, the place Neo goes to when he remembers. He sat, and he thought about himself, and he tried to go to that place, where he wanted it all to be revealed to him.

But no matter how much Smith tried, he couldn't do it. He wondered why, and still he felt nothing.

It was Neo's turn to ask if Smith was all right.

"Are you okay?" Neo asked, crawling on his knees.

"…I'm fine." Smith replied.

"You sure?"

"Of course."

There's a man sitting next to the pond in a mediating stance. Smith has noticed the man before, and finds him not as interesting to observe, as he does not move. Smith does look back to check on the man, he still hasn't move. Smith looks back to Neo who has stood up since the last time he saw him, and is now eating some of his food.

"Are you sure you don't want some?" Neo offers.

Smith shakes his head.

"I'm not hungry." Smith says.

"You're never hungry." Neo complains.

"I eat…"

"Like once a month." Neo interrupts. "I seriously don't know how you do it."

Smith says nothing. Neo frowns.

"Come on, here, have my apple!" Neo shoved an apple towards Smith. "See? A green one, you like the greens ones better than the red ones, right? I know you do. Take it!"

Neo held it up to him for so long, Smith took it, and Neo smiled.

Neo smiles, and Neo frowns, Neo laughs, Neo has cried, Neo has shed blood. Smith wonders why he doesn't. Neo is happy, Neo is sad, Neo is angry, Neo is afraid, Neo is depressed, Neo is melancholy, Neo is overjoyed, Neo is excited. Smith is not, Smith is never any of those things. Smith is just Smith, he is him. He is Smith. He is not Neo, and Neo is not Smith, they are themselves. Smith is Smith, Neo is Neo. Neo is something, Smith is something. Smith wants to feel like Neo, but has no idea how to proceed to do so.

Smith continues to feel nothing. Instead he observes, he exists, he wonders about things. He wonders about himself, what is he? What defines himself? This thought eventually triggers a domino effect onto other, more and less complicated questions about himself. What he is, who he is, who he was, what he was. This leads to questions that have been asked before, and abandoned, and newer questions never before thought of.

"Mr. Anderson…" Smith begins. "Who do you think we were? How were we…connected?"

"What?" Neo asked, taking the cookie out of his mouth.

"How do you think we knew each other."

Neo frowned. He didn't want to think about the past anymore, the past is when people died. He had just gotten over his last dream, Neo didn't want to talk about this…but then again Smith never talks about this, he should take the opportunity. Neo nodded and thought about this.

"I never really…thought about it." Neo admitted.

"Me either."

"Well…I guess…" Neo scratches his messy hair. "I guess I always assumed we were friends."

"Yes, but how did we meet?"

"Smith…"

"We were always together…remember? We came here together. Do you remember the car ride over here? When they locked us onto the walls of the van? Do you remember what we did?" Smith asked.

Neo looked up at Smith, his mouth slightly open. Neo tried to remember what he was talking about, but the first thing Neo remembers was hitting his head on his sink, wanting to be with Smith. Neo shakes his head.

"We stared at each other." Smith says. "I remember it, we were across each other, and we didn't say anything. I was…confused, and…I don't know, but I saw you, you were the first thing I saw, and I stared at you the entire time, and you stared at me. And it took me a long time to realize that they had taken you away from me, and that's when I started…" Smith trails off, not really proud of those actions, as they did exhibit some insanity.

Neo nodded.

"That was not our first time meeting, we know that. But what was? Where were we? Were we in a battlefield? In this place? Were we children? Have we known each other our entire lives? Did we fight along side each other?" Smith kept asking questions.

"I don't know!" Neo yelled.

Neo frowned at Smith, and put his hands over his head. Smith stopped with his questions, and there was a silence that they didn't even notice. It was already filled with unsaid questions, and answers that seemed they would never come.

-----------

It is now years ago, how many they do not know, and don't really want to know. Years ago, their first real memories. Their first memories, insane an Asylum van, being taken to what they would know as their white room, where they will never leave. Years ago, the van is shaking, and the inside is white, and their clothes are white, to them the entire world is white.

One is already looking at the other, but the other hangs his head, unable to lift it. Piercing blue eyes are staring at the man across from him, lifting his heavy head. Smith…Smith is staring at Neo. Smith's lip is trembling, and he's afraid, so very afraid. Afraid of the man that sits across from him, he's shaking. And Neo…finally lifts his head and his eyes meet Smith's. Neo is not afraid. Neo…is tired and wants to go to sleep, fall asleep and never wake up.

There are bags under Neo's eyes, and it's possible that one of his ribs is broken. Smith's eyes are red as if he had recently been crying, the doctors think his hands may be broken. And they are beaten and battered, and they stare at each other. Smith's arms are shaking within his straight jacket. He wants to run away, but he can't move, and he knows it is useless to even try. But Neo does not look at him and want to hurt him. Neo looks up at him and well…thinks of nothing.

They're strapped to the walls by their backs, but there is enough strapping to allow Smith to fall on his knees, and stare at Neo.

There is no thought, there are no words.

There is no hate, there is no anger, no betrayal, no revenge. It is just them.

They are beaten, they are battered, and they remember nothing. They know nothing of themselves or anything else, they are a clean slate. They are seeing for the first time again, and they're learning about the world all over again. There is no thought that crosses their minds, and there are no words that come from their mouths.

They just stare at each other in the purity of nothing.

And without even speaking or thinking, they know they must stay together.

They're both wet, it rained last night.

-------------

"I always imagined us, Smith, bumping into each other in like a subway, and laughing as if we were long lost friends. I can't imagine…us as kids. You know, I don't even remember what I looked like as a child." Neo said.

Neo just realized he doesn't remember his childhood, his parents, his friends. Neo…wouldn't even recognize himself as a child if he saw a picture. Neo doesn't remember his life before, and for a moment this worries Neo. But he forgets it, he doesn't want to be sad again, his name is Thomas A. Anderson, his real name is Neo, that is who he is, that is all he really needs to know.

Smith feels nothing with these words.

"What about you?" Neo asks.

"I don't know." Smith says.

There is another silence.

"It doesn't matter. We're together now." Neo says with a smile.

Smith supposes he is right.

"We're figuring it out, right? I told you leaving the room would be a good idea."

Smith says nothing.

And after a moment, Neo attempts to climb the tree again.

-------------

"Excuse me. Miss? We're looking for a friend, we think he might be staying here."

Men in suits. Men in suits arrive at the Asylum for the second time in years, the taller once walks up to the front desk, and the shorter one wanders off to look out a window that looks into the rest of the Asylum, where the mad are kept.

"Oh. May I have your names then please?" The attendant says.

"Jones, Matt Jones, and he's Adam…" The taller one begins.

"Brown." The little one finishes, still looking out the window.

The attendant is filling out a sheet of paper.

"Would you like to visit this friend?" The attendant asks.

"Ah, you weren't listening. We think he might be staying here, but we are not sure."

"Oh, well then I'll check in with the computers."

"That may propose a problem, Miss, as our friend has changed his name recently since he has…had his downfall, and we are unsure of his new name."

"Oh, um, I will call a doctor."

"Thank you." Says Matt Jones.

The attendant leaves to make this call, and Matt Jones looks back to Adam Brown who is staring out the little window. Adam Brown looks back, and Matt Jones nods. Adam goes through the door, and begins to walk among the mad. Matt Jones watches.

---------------

"How come Michael keeps running away from me?" Neo asks.

"Maybe he doesn't like you, maybe he's afraid of you." Smith says.

"Afraid?"

"Shy."

"Oh."

They walk the halls now, Neo had once again failed climbing the tree and he said he didn't want to be hurt anymore. Smith walks in front of Neo, and Neo follows obediently. They're heading towards the game room, they're thinking of playing chess.

And Smith feels nothing as he walks the halls and looks at the world around him. His mind races with unanswered questions and observations on various things. He wonders why he can never find answers to his questions.

But then Smith stops.

A man in a suit.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Neo asks.

"Look!" Smith points. "The man in the suit."

"Is it an Agent? Have they come back for us? They're going to kill us!" Neo yells, and attempts to hid behind Smith. "It's an Agent, I know it is! I can feel it, he's going to kill us!"

"No…I don't think so…"

The man stands across the entire central area, just strolling around looking at everyone. He stands out against all the white, in his black suit, Smith stands still and watches him. The man…he walks in a familiar way, and he…smiles in a familiar way. The man in a suit…the face…He knows the face. He knows, he knows it. Is this an answer? An answer to a question? One of his questions?

What is this feeling? What causes such a reaction? Is this shock? Is this fear? Is this…something entirely different?

"We can't let him see us!" Neo says, "He'll kill us! Come on, let's hide!"

Neo tugs at Smith's arm.

"No…he's not an Agent." Smith tells Neo.

How to proceed? What do I do? What am I supposed to do? What will happen? Will it hurt? Why can't I move?

Then Smith begins to walks towards this man.

"Come with me." Smith told Neo.

And Smith pulls him as they begin to walk. Smith's grip is hard, and it hurts, and Neo doesn't know why. Neo tugged at his arm to loosens Smith's grip, but it didn't work. Neo didn't understand what was happening, and it scared him a little. What were they doing? He looked at Smith, and he knew Smith didn't know either.

The man in the suit was currently strolling around quite cautiously. He had been to many asylums before, in search of this friend. He sort of smiled at the insane people who passed him by, staring at him, wondering what he was doing there. He waved to a young girl, and was on his way to the outdoor area.

Smith walked towards him, tugging on Neo. Smith walked alongside him, and Smith then stood in front of him.

The man in the suit stopped and looked at Smith. Smith stood straight and looked at him. And Neo, trying to get Smith to let go of him, finding this hopeless Neo looked at the man in the suit, and Smith.

Smith felt something, but he didn't know what, and this made him afraid.

The man in the suit tilted his head at Smith, and leaned closer to him, bowing his head. Smith could only stare. The man shifted his eyes around, not knowing what more to do. He did smile at Smith, and walked closer to him.

"Hello, there." The man said.

Smith swallowed. Neo stared in shock at Smith's silence, and tugged at his hand again. The man looked over at Neo, and Neo waved up his hand.

"Hi, my name is Thomas!" Neo smiled.

"Hello, Thomas." The man in the suit said. "Who is your friend?"

Neo looked at his hand, and tugged it again, then looked up at Smith, and back at the man in the suit. Smith continued saying nothing, and merely staring at this man. He didn't know what was happening truthfully. He didn't know what to do, he was just watching as thing went on, as if he were watching a television show.

"His name is John." Neo beamed, saying John to sound sane.

"Well…Mr. John, my name is Adam Brown, nice to meet you." Adam Brown held out his hand, and for a moment Smith didn't do anything. Finally he reached out and shook it.

The man in the suit nodded, and smiled at Smith. Then the man went on, passing the two of them by, and Smith watched as he left them.

Smith let go of Neo's hand, and Smith felt something.

Neo rubbed his wrist and nudged Smith.

"What's wrong with you?" Neo asked him.

Smith didn't answer, but he watched the man in the suit.

"Sir! Sir! You're not supposed to be in this area!" An attendant started yelling at him, and running towards him. "You're not allowed here."

"Oh, I'm sorry, the door was just wide open, I assumed…" The man in the suit

The attendant quickly grabs the man, and nearly pushes him along towards a place where only the sane go. Adam Brown takes one last look around, before he pushed out a door, and is seen as a sane man.

Smith watched. Smith stands still for a moment, before understanding what has happened, before realizing he's gone. Smith begins to run.

"Smith!" Neo yells. "Smith?" Neo runs after him.

Smith feels something. Smith runs, jumping between some people, and sliding into a hallway, before finally running into their cell room, and jumping onto the table, grabbing the handlebars of their window. And he looks, and watches, and he sees a car driven by this Adam Brown go away.

And Smith presses his hand against the glass between the bars.

"Wait…"

Neo stood behind Smith, leaning on the wall. Neo frowned at Smith, and saw Smith was sad. Smith was never sad, not a lot at least. And Neo didn't know what he could have done to make it better, he didn't know, so he didn't do anything. He leaned on the wall and looked at Smith.

"Neo…" Smith began.

Neo raised his head, hearing his name part from Smith's mouth. He always wanted Smith to call him that, always, but now…now after all the waiting he's more scared than happy. Story of his life, isn't it?

"I think I just let our chance to leave this place slip away…"

Smith turned his head towards Neo.

"I'm sorry."

Smith doesn't feel much. But Smith longs for so much. He wants to feel more, he wants to leave this place, he wants to know freedom, he wants to be let go, he wants to get away from all these smells, he wants to know who he was. Smith doesn't feel much, but wants so much.

Smith felt something, and it hurt.

Neo suddenly jumped back in fear for Smith looked as if he were about to cry.

-------------

"Brown…"

"Smith, it's okay! Please don't be sad, you're never sad. It's okay! Really! I'm sure Adam was no one, I didn't recognize him! Though I do think he's funny, wearing a suit like that."

Neo had never seen Smith sad, or was too blind to see if he ever was before. Smith can't be sad, Smith is never sad you see. Neo is the one that is always sad, Smith is the one that always helps him. If Smith is sad, it throws the whole thing out of balance! This can't be right! It isn't right! And besides…Smith being sad, it made Neo afraid.

"Jones…"

"Who is Jones? I don't remember a Jones! Smith! Please! You're making up people now, come on, Brown or Jones, or whoever – they couldn't help us, right? They don't know us, we don't know them. Okay? …Okay?"

What did these names mean? These names that suddenly rang throughout his head. He was always such at peace within himself, he couldn't believe he was accused of madness…but now, there is screaming. A voice inside, a splinter in his mind, a presence whispering in his ear these names. Jones, and Brown. Brown, and Jones. Something about these names…what is it? What is this tearing inside of him, ripping him apart from the inside out? Is it…could it be?

Is it a memory?

His head is beginning to hurt, he can't walk anymore, he stops for second and Neo rests his head on Smith's shoulder.

"Please say you're okay, Smith…" Neo told him.

And they stood there for a moment, in the middle of the center room. Smith huddled up in his arms, slouching, as if trying to do the fettle position while standing up. Smith breathed in deeply, and closed his eyes.

Neo drags him to a bench where they sit down.

Smith was afraid. Smith was sad. Smith thought he was dying.

Who were they? Those faces, those names?

"Smith, it's okay! We'll get out someday! I promise! Smith…Smith come on…don't be this way, I don't like it!"

He didn't hear Neo.

There are many things Smith longs for, and wishes he dreamed of. Many things he doesn't tell Neo, and he locks up somewhere inside his head. So many things not said, no longer thought of, but they stay constant in him, remembered forever, forever inside him, forever part of him, making him, him. But who was he? This was another question that stays constant inside him, one he longs for an answer. There are many things Smith wants. And when everyone is quiet he can hear himself think and ask himself questions he cannot answer. Smith stares through their window when Neo is not looking, and he longs so much to be there, in the city, outside of this cold, white walls. Smith stares at the people around him, and he looks to sane, and he wants so much to be them. Be them, and not himself, be a sane man, not this man with a broken head. Be them, and no longer him, but then again, who is he anyway? He looks at Neo, and wants that happiness in Neo's eyes. He would grab at Neo in his sleep and take out his eyes himself, just so he could keep them as his own, just so he could be happy too. He looks at Neo, and wants to be like Neo. Happy, Naïve, loving, caring. He wants to laugh like Neo, and dream like Neo.

Oh how he wants to dream, dream and leave this horrible place, he hates it so much. Leave, go to sleep here in his bed, and wake up somewhere else, somewhere so very far away.

Who am I?

Jonathon Smith. Who is Jonathon Smith? He has no idea, another question to go unanswered within his mind. Who is Jonathon? That isn't him, no it couldn't be him, his name isn't Jonathon, that's not his name, no one gave him that name. His name is Smith. Who is Smith? He doesn't know that either.

So many questions…He never realized how many…he never noticed how empty he felt. Has he been blind to all this pain for this long? Why hasn't he realized all this stored inside him is hurting him? How is it he can see now?

Everything inside him he ever kept quiet wants to get out, and it's terrifying. This is all happening too quickly. Hours, minutes ago he was not like this! He knows it! He was calm, he was observant, he was asking questions, but now…Something's happening, and it's happening too fast for him! Something inside him…something…making something happen. A domino effect that causes internal panic. Something's happening, and he doesn't know what, and he can't make it stop! He can't calm down, he forgot how!

At least he was able to look at these questions and try to find answers before, finding none without remorse. At least he could look at Neo without anger staring at those happy eyes. But now…something…inside him, tearing at him, screaming those names! Jones, and Brown! These questions must have an answer, who are they! There is an answer, he knows there is, he knows he knows, but he can't find it, where is it? Who are you? Tell me! Tell me!

Smith feels something, and it hurts. Desperation came so quickly, what can he do to make it stop?

There are many things Smith wants, and has not said. He wants to dream like Neo, and be happy like Neo. He wants people to like him like Neo. He wants to be free like Neo. He wants to know who he is, exactly who he is. He wants to know who he was. What happened to him before. He wants to run away from this horrible white place. He wants to know. He wants to see it like Neo sees it. He wants to know who Jones and Brown are. And he knows…they could have told him.

He wants to pain to go away. He wants the smells in this horrible place to go away. He wants Neo to stop talking.

He sees Michelle, and Neo waves to her, forgetting him almost. Neo says something, and gets up, Smith grabs at Neo's arm. Neo looks down and frowns.

"I'll be right back." Says Neo, smiling that happy smile, with that happy glint in his eyes.

Smith lets go and Neo runs to Michelle.

Smith felt something.

And it almost made the pain go away.

Smith wanted Michelle to go away, and Neo to come back. Neo. Neo is all he has here, and now. No matter how useless Neo seems to be, he knows…together they serve a greater purpose. But what is this purpose?

Another question brings back the pain, and Smith slides down in the bench.

Brown and Jones, men in suits like Agents. Brown and Jones…the only faces that he has been able to recognize in so many years. Brown and Jones…he wants them to come back, and make the questions go away.

Smith felt things.

Smith watches as Neo smiles at Michelle, and she smiles back.

Smith felt anger, and envy, and hatred.

There are so many things Smith wants, that he has been deprived of. His memory of them taken away, his own self perhaps stripped away. He wants to dream, he wants to be free, he wants to know, he wants to be happy, he wants to fly, he wants to…be one.

He knows there was once a time, he can feel it like he knows he knew Jones and Brown. He knows there was once a time, when he was one, and he was happy, and it was good. He had a purpose, he had a life. He was part of something greater than himself, and he protected it with everything he had, every fiber of his being he wanted it to know he would do everything to protect. It was a precious thing he knows it, something warm and cold at the same time. He knows there was a time, where he did things with others, as one.

He looks at Neo one last time, smiling away. He knows there was a time he and Neo acted as One, he can feel it. All throughout his body he knows it, it is the feeling that is making his fingertips twitch.

Smith wants that again. So he won't be alone inside his head anymore, and it won't be as dark, and there will be more answers instead of only questions.

To act, as one. To know, as one. To hear, as one. To breath, as one. To touch, as one. To feel, as one. To live…as one. To be One.

He knows there is no pain in that.

Smith's chest hurts, and he curls into a ball for a little while, laying on the bench as if it were his bed. He closes his eyes staring at Neo and Michelle. Neo and Trinity, happy together, as one. He shuts his eyes so he won't look at them again, so disgusting.

And Smith finally goes to a place where he dreams, and memories take form. And all he sees is Jones and Brown looking at him…there is so much blood on his hands…and he'll never be able to wash it off his tie.

------------

Next Chapter: As One

Chapter title has been changed, as I sat down to write it, it became something entirely different from what I had planned. But it works so well.

A Smith themed chapter, I hoped you enjoyed it.

An answer to a review: IMPS The Relentless is an independent film based on Star Wars. I won't say fan film, because well the guys that made it spent five years on it, most of it post production for the special and visual effect. There are eight episodes to IMPS; put all together I would say it's nearly three hours long. It follows the lives of a squad of Stormtroopers, as soldiers and part of the Empire, like a documentary you see on History Channel. In fact their slogan is "An epic documentary on the best damn job in the galaxy." I am fortunate enough to have the music composer for these films my personal mentor, and I am able to give a little part, transcribing the script into proper script format for them for their website so that others can translate the film into different languages. They are currently working on Chapter 2, and almost done with that. IMPS, by the way, stands for Imperial, Military, Personal, Stories.

Please R/R


	8. As One

Blood, beautiful, bold, red blood. Life-giving blood that flows throughout the entire body, pumped by the single heart, which is about the size of a human fist. Blood. He had never really looked at blood, never took the time to examine it closely, to feel it…. It was beautiful, such a deep color, he loved it. It was warm, so very warm, and flowing from his hands to the floor. He looked at all this blood, and he smiled.

So very, very happy.

Blood, sweet, red blood, all over him, warming him. Blood, from the body, still warm, still full of life. Blood staining his clothes, his clothes that were not white. Finally, something unclean, impure, something not perfect, something black, not white. It was silent in these moments as he stared at the blood, and it was perfect.

"Smith." But the moments passed.

Smith looked up to see Brown and Jones still staring at them, but not with their real eyes. Staring at him with big black eyes, but Smith didn't really notice this.

"You dropped this." Brown said, handing him something.

It was gun, still hot from firing it recently. Smith grabbed it slowly, the blood dripping from his hands onto the gun. He slid his hands down the barrel of the thing; it was so smooth, so perfect, and so black. Smith smiled at this gun as well, being as curios as to stare down into the barrel of the gun, even though he knew this was highly dangerous, he didn't care. He held the gun close, to even hold it up to his face so he could feel the heat.

Jones and Brown were smiling at him, with their big black eyes. Jones and Brown…such familiar faces, such familiar names. Smith smiles back at them. This is another sweet moment where it is silent, and the three men in suits just stare at each other. But soon Jones and Brown turned away, and began walking away, it was then Smith noticed he was in a hallway, and Jones and Brown were walking to the other end. Smith watched them leave him again, but this time they stopped at the end, and looked back, waiting for him. Them…waiting for him.

Smith smiled and began to walk towards them, but it trip over something, a sort of tug on his leg. Smith stopped to see what it was. He dropped his gun, and backed into the wall. And Jones and Brown only smiled.

Neo lay on the floor, staining the world with his blood. Lying on his back, looking up with those happy brown eyes. Neo heaved for breath, coughing up blood, as he bled from his neck, his sides, and chest. Smith looked at Neo, and Neo looked back. But there was nothing in those eyes, no happiness or curiosity. They were empty and staring at him, asking him nothing. Just…staring up at him. Neo reached for Smith, grabbing his leg. There were eight holes in Neo's chest.

"He's leaving, you know." Jones said.

"He'll be gone soon." Brown said.

"We better leave, before he comes back."

"Yes, before he comes back."

Smith looked at them, terrified, and they smiled at him. His hands began shaking, and he didn't even know he had fallen to his knees next to Neo. He looked at Neo, searching for the Neo he knew. The Neo with something in his eyes, something he did not possess. But this…this… This was not Neo, this was a shell, an empty shell of himself.

And there was a pool of blood that was spreading towards Smith.

"We should go now." Jones said.

"Yes, we should leave." Brown said.

Neo was dying, right in front of him. Neo was bleeding, his blood on his hands, the warm blood he longed to have. Neo was on him…the life giving blood. Was there any way that this could somehow end? That this could just go away? Was there a way to let Neo live?

"Who did this to you…?" Smith whispered reaching out to Neo, wiping the blood from Neo's mouth.

But the shell of Neo did not respond, and laid there continuing to die.

"Who did this to you?" Smith yelled, grasping Neo's shoulders.

Neo gasped a bit, as the blood still flowed out of him. Neo stared at Smith, and Neo smiled. Smith fell back to the opposite wall of the hallway and stared back at Neo, shaking. He covered his eyes and put his head in his knees, not wanting to even look at Neo.

"Who did this to you?" Smith yelled again. "Did you do this to him?"

Smith grabbed the gun from the floor and pointed it at Jones and Brown. They in returned smiled at him, and Brown tilted his head.

"Did you?" Smith yelled.

"Of course not, Smith." Jones said.

"You did." Brown finished.

Smith lowered his gun as his mouth dropped open. He said nothing, and he expressed nothing as he turned to the dying Neo. He looked at his hands, closing his mouth, seeing the drying blood. Then he looked at Neo, and placed his hand in the little puddle of blood surrounding them. Neo smiled at him.

"This is how you always wanted it to be." Jones said.

"Remember? You wanted him to bleed to death." Brown said.

"Slice his weak flesh away. A slow death."

"Where he could feel it as his life was drained away."

"You wanted it to be raining when it happened."

"So your world could wash him completely away."

"And he would be gone, and it all would be over."

"This image is what kept you going."

"This thought, this dream. In his death, you would be free."

Neo still smiled, as if it was all really okay, lying there, dying. He coughed again, spitting out blood. And Smith…Smith stared at him with a blank expression, witnessing this entire thing. Smith did not scream, or shake, or cry, or fear, or anything at all. Smith just sat there, and watched Neo die.

"I will stay here, with you, Neo, okay?" Smith said, reaching closer to him.

"You shouldn't." Jones said.

"He'll come back." Brown said.

"He'll kill you."

"He always does."

"He never understood you. Not like us."

"He did this to you, leaving you here alone."

"He made you leave us."

"He's not like you, Smith."

"He could never give you what you desire, even if he dies, he'll give you nothing."

Smith still sat next to Neo, holding his bloody hand. He sat there, and sat there, watching as Neo died. And when the heart stopped beating, and Neo was dead, he came back. Jones and Brown ran away, and it was Smith's turn to bleed. And this time he would scream.

-----------

"He'll be asleep for a while you know."

Neo looks up at her.

"They gave him a lot of sedatives…to make him stop shaking."

Neo frowns.

"They said it was a seizure." Neo whispers.

"No! No…it just…they thought it was, it might have been, and if it was it was nothing serious. Just one of those…twenty second things…from some sort of shock." She says.

Neo looks away.

Michelle, Trinity, stands in the doorway of their cell, one armed wrapped around the other. Neo sits on his bed, staring over at Smith, who lies in his covered in blankets and a wet cloth on his head. Neo's hands are shaking as he rubs them together, trying to get them to stop. And Trinity stood beside him, unsure of what she should do. But sooner or later, the insane aren't good with time; she stepped inside the madmen's cell, and sat next to Neo.

The two, sane and insane were confused to what the other was doing. But Neo looked to her, and scooted closer to her.

"You're afraid." She said to him. "It's okay to be afraid."

"I don't understand…why this happened, I don't know what I did wrong." Neo nodded.

"This isn't your fault, Neo."

"No, I mean…I know. But I should have known. He…always takes care of me." Neo told her.

He looks away from her, she wouldn't understand. She doesn't know, she couldn't know. She can't know, he won't let her; he won't let her know what it's like to be sane and thought to be this madman. To only have another madman as the only person you know, to have to piece your own life back together…how could he burden her with such horrible thing?

Michelle, Trinity bit her lower lip.

"When I was little…my father died. And my mother adopted a baby boy. She said they were going to have another child, and well…yeah… His name was Collin, he was a little Asian boy…and he was my brother since I saw him. He always took care of me, always, when we were at school, or anytime…he was my brother…"

Michelle, Trinity is stuttering, she's not sure what she should really say, if she should tell this to this man. Thomas A. Anderson, Neo, a man who mind is sick, and is insane. Would a man that is mad not understand? But…she knew somehow he would. He looked at her, with his brown eyes, staring intently, listening to every single word, always interested in everything she had to say. Why? Because she looked like a woman he had forgotten, or did he really actually like her? Did it all really matter?

"He always took care of me, you know? And then he got sick…and I had to suddenly take care of him. And…he died. I wondered if I hadn't cared for him enough, or if I had somehow done something wrong…but…I know I didn't. I was there for him, and he needed me, and I took care of him, it just wasn't enough…it wasn't my fault, I did all I could… You can take care of Smith now…and it isn't your fault if he's hurt, you just have to stay with him."

The night is eating up the day, and the sun is setting. The light is dimming, and Neo for a second looks back at Smith. Then he looks at Trinity, and he grabs her hand.

"I'm sorry." Neo told her. "You don't deserve to lose someone like that."

Michelle, Trinity smiled, and looked away.

"Now how do you know that, Neo?"

"I just do." Neo replied innocently. "I dream it."

When she looks at him, with all that happiness mixing with all that sadness, she wonders if he can tell the difference between them. Or if he is always the same, if he was always the same even before all this. When she speaks of death, can he understand? Is he nodding blindly, unsure of what she's talking about? But she smiles. She wonders if she should leave now, if this isn't her place. She knows it's not, she's not supposed to form any friendships with these people, they're insane, there needs to be a barrier between the mad and sane. But she won't leave and she justifies this by saying counseling is part of her job, it's not. She just gives out pills.

"What do you dream, Neo? Do you dream your painting?" She asks.

Neo backs away and his eyes widen.

"You saw that? Oh no! No!" Neo yells.

"Sh!" Michelle gestures to Neo, pointing at Smith. Neo frowns and lowers his head.

"I'm sorry you had to see that, I hate that thing. I hate what I put on it. It's horrible, I didn't want to burden you with even the sight of it." Neo looks away.

It was. It was horrible.

"I don't mean to dream that stuff. I just do, and I don't want to anymore. But it keeps coming back! I can't stop it! And…it keeps getting longer, and the dream itself is beginning to change…but that's no excuse, I'm sorry, Trinity." Neo looks up back at her.

"It's okay, Neo…we can't control our dreams. I…didn't mean to upset you."

"Do you forgive me?"

"Of course."

"Then I'm not upset."

Michelle, Trinity smiled at that. And Neo rose up and smiled back at her. All Neo saw was her, and her face, her beautiful face. And he thought in his head over and over again, Neo and Trinity, Neo and Trinity, Neo and Trinity. And he wanted to tell her of all his other dreams where he sees her. All these dreams he has had. Neo, and Trinity, were together again. He wanted to tell her that they have been here before, she and he. He knew it…it had to be. She had to be Trinity…she just had to be… He wanted to ask her again, if she would be Trinity if he stopped being insane. He wasn't sure if he would be able to accomplish this but with her love as a reward he was pretty sure he could.

But Neo bit his lip, and reminded himself what Smith would say to all this. Neo looked over at Smith, still sleeping, still lying down.

"I don't remember my childhood." Neo said, still looking at Smith. "Neither does Smith. I don't remember my mother…or my father. My brothers, my sisters…if I ever had any siblings…"

Neo still smiled, as if none of what he said was sad. And this smile made Michelle believe he didn't know how to be sad, or didn't know what it was. But that was not so. Neo smiled, because he didn't want Michelle to stop smiling.

"That's horrible…" Michelle whispered. "I mean…I knew you had amnesia but not as severe…There's nothing even on your record under relatives…I always assumed you knew though…oh, Neo…"

"Don't be sad, Trinity." Neo said. "I don't like it when you're sad. So don't be sad, okay? Even if this is a sad time, you have to be happy."

Neo bent down and looked up to Michelle's face, and he smiled at her. She backed away and wiped her eyes, sniffing, and smiling at Neo. Neo nodded to her and looked back at Smith.

"I remember Smith, though. Yes, I remember him. As long as I have Smith I'll be okay. As long as you're happy I'll be okay." Neo said, and looked back at Trinity.

"You've always been together?"

Neo nodded.

"Why do you fight each other then?" Michelle asked.

Neo held back a laugh.

"Just because…it's calming, it feels…right. Familiar. And we like anything that feels…familiar."

She felt strange asking Neo all these questions. But these were questions she always asked Aaron, but he could never answer, because well, they didn't seem to trust Aaron, or any of the sane really. Smith didn't trust her. Only Neo trusted her, and that's only because she looks like someone with a biblical reference in her name. But these questions…he'll answer them. And Neo is happy to answer them. If she's curios why not ask him?

She laughed out of nervousness and looked up at Neo.

"Why do you let him call you by your real name?" She asked.

Neo seemed confused by this question, and had to take a moment to consider.

"Oh, you mean Thomas A. Anderson." Neo smiled.

"Yeah, you don't like it when anyone else calls you that."

"Well, for one, it's not my real name. My name is Neo, you know that. But…I let Smith call me that because…it's his way of showing he respects me. And it sounds familiar." Neo smiled.

"And you call him Smith, because you respect him?"

"No…no, no. That's his real name. But he knows how much I respect him…but it means a lot more to me that he respects me."

"Why?"

"Because…um…because…well I don't know, but it does. We both know that. But Smith…you know Smith, he doesn't…express himself as much, so it's the little things that mean a lot more than you'd think."

"Why doesn't he express himself?"

"He doesn't know how. And he doesn't want to. The both sort of…connect somewhere in the middle I guess."

"Why doesn't he want to?"

"He's afraid."

"Of what?"

"I don't know. But I know he's afraid, I dream it."

What else do you dream Neo? Michelle is staring at him in a sort of disbelief. She has so many questions, but the answers go around in circles. She knows they'll all eventually end in "I can't remember," and "I don't know," and Neo would feel bad, and she doesn't want him to feel bad. He seems to have a fragile and strange mind; hurting it any further than it has today would just be a wrong move. Besides…she likes it that he trusts her, and likes her.

"Do you talk about him being afraid?" Michelle asks.

"I haven't even tried. He won't let me. He'll tell me when he's ready, that's how Smith is. He has to figure it out by himself, and if he can't he'll ask me. But I know there's things he doesn't tell me. He thinks I don't know that, but I suppose we both know a lot more about each other than we know ourselves." Neo smiled. "Yes, that sounds right…familiar. That sums it up, don't you think?"

Michelle, Trinity smiled and nodded.

"I'm sorry am I asking too many questions?" Michelle asked, asking another question.

"Of course not. I like talking to you. Smith doesn't, but he's just jealous."

"He doesn't like me, does he?"

"Oh, Smith doesn't like anybody, that's just Smith."

"But…he looks at me differently than you do. I don't like it. He stares at me, with this…blank face…but I know he's angry at me."

"Well…no…I don't think he's angry at you. He's not angry at anyone…he doesn't hate you or anything…He just…um…has to tolerate a lot of things."

Michelle, Trinity smiles.

"Yes, tolerate." She nods.

Neo smiles and looks over back at Smith, and frowns for a moment.

"Neo…what is the Matrix?"

Neo's mouth opens and he tilts his head at her.

"I know…you used to scream that with Smith…and I was just…wondering what you thought it was…" She stutters realizing this is a subject to take lightly.

"The Matrix…" Neo whispered. "The Matrix…I…don't know."

"Oh…."

"But…keep asking that question, Trinity. What is the Matrix? Someday…somebody will know. Just…keep asking." Neo nodded. 

The Matrix is something, Trinity, something I'm don't really understand yet. It's like a dream, Trinity, people are dreaming right now, and we're all dreaming the same dream, and we can speak to each other, and touch each other in this dream. You're not supposed to wake up from the dream, why I don't know. Will you help me find out?

He would have given anything to say that to her.

"Can I ask you a question now?" Neo looks over at Michelle, and she nods happily. "What's it like…in the city? I don't remember you know…"

"Oh…well, I live in this little apartment on the outsides of it…but it's loud…and grimy. Not as bad as other places, but you know, still pretty dirty. People are always in a rush, sometimes I think I'm living in New York again, just people in business suits, going around in circles, the same routine over and over again…It's kind of refreshing coming here…away from that." She looks up at Neo.

"Sounds nice."

"It's okay."

Neo smiles.

"Okay…do you…think I'm insane?" Neo smiled at her.

"Neo…"

What does one say to a question like that? She's staring at him, answering with her eyes, but Neo, being the madman he is, is blind to her body language and continue to smile at her, expecting an answer. Michelle looks away for a moment, and then back up at him, where he looks down to the floor.

"It' okay…you don't have to answer that." Neo says.

The day is gone, swallowed up by the night, and only the full moon light up their little cell. Michelle, Trinity stares up at Neo, and then bites her lip.

"I should go…" She says.

She rises to her feet, but Neo grabs her at the wrist, but gently. More gentle than the last time.

"No…please don't go." He grasps onto her and looks at Smith. "I'm not like him…am I? No…I dream that too. I don't know how I can take care of him…what I should do, what I'm supposed to do…He'll start shaking again I know it, and I won't know what to do…"

Neo looks up at her.

"If he has another one we'll have to put him in the hospital we have here…you just have to tell someone, Neo, we can take care of him…" Michelle tells him.

"No you can't…No one can but me…and I don't know what to do…" Neo shakes his head. "I know, I've dreamed this, Trinity, he dies, I know he does he dies because of me…I kill him…"

"Oh, Neo…"

"Please…Michelle…will you stay here with us…with me?"

Trinity…Michelle in the dark of the night nodded to Neo, and sat at the foot of his bed, as Neo lied down, facing Smith, watching him, making sure he was okay. And Neo soon fell asleep, and when this happened, Michelle, Trinity, left to go home.

And when she was gone, and all that were left were only them…Smith's hands began shaking, and so did Neo's. For they dreamt as One, and heard each other's screams.

---------------

Perhaps it was the drugs that made it so difficult to open his eyes, or maybe it was his own fear of what he would see when he did. He was at first unsure if he was awake yet…or still dreaming. Perhaps the entire Asylum was just a dream, and he would wake up somewhere else, somewhere different, far away. Yes…perhaps everything is just a dream. Neo, Michelle, Jones, Brown, the entire thing. He would wake up completely alone, but at least he wouldn't be in an Asylum.

Being drugged…it was a not a new sensation for him. It dulls the mind. One wants to think, one wants to imagine something, or go over what's happening to them. Wanting to think…unable to though. Unable to form a thought, a single word inside your head…you only go on…existing. A living corpse, lying there, trying to get better.

His vision was blurry from the drugs, and he laid in bed for nearly half an hour waking up. His eyes began to hurt from all the white lights around him on the white walls. He shook his head, and laid underneath his sheets. And Smith slowly came to the inevitable truth.

His name was Smith, he was insane, he was in an Asylum. He had started shaking and fainted.

He laid another ten minutes sulking on this truth. Soon he decided to see if Neo was up, peering through the covers. But he saw across the room, Neo was not in his bed. The morning sun shined through, and Smith retreated back into his sheets. He was alone now. All alone. Neo had left him… Neo had left him for Trinity!

No, no, no, this isn't right, this can't be right.

Smith stumbled out of bed, losing his balance. He looked down the hallways, looking for Neo, but didn't see him. Smith frowned, leaning on the hallway walls as he walked towards the center room. And even then he felt dizzy, and thought for a moment that he was dreaming again. He finally found the center room, somehow navigating his way through people and dizziness. He stood and looked for Neo, but could not find him.

He needed to find Neo, he knew this, drugged and jaded he still knew. But no where could he find the man who the sane called Thomas A. Anderson. He was really, truly alone…abandoned. Left behind for something better. Left behind by everyone…

"Hey, pal."

Smith jumps as he turns around, and there behind him stand two men whose souls belong to a Frenchman. The taller one nods, and it is the shorter one that is speaking and smiling at Smith. Smith stares at them, and the smaller one scans him up and down.

"We've been watching you. You okay?" The shorter one asks.

Smith, drugged, not thinking clearly stares at the shorter one.

"Heh, my name's Enosh and this here is Enoch." The shorter one says, and the taller one nods.

Smith stares.

"Yeah, funny names huh? Parents were really catholic back home." Enosh goes on.

"We couldn't get out of there soon enough." Enoch adds.

The two laugh, with their slight French accents, and Smith only stares.

"Hey, pal, you're Smith right? Friend of that Neo guy?" Enosh goes on.

"Now those are interesting names."

And Smith manages to nod, looking on at these strange men.

"Hey, Smith. We've been watching you…with that Neo guy. You're pals with him huh?" Enosh says.

Smith nods.

"He hasn't been treating you right has he?"

Smith nods.

"No way, we saw that the other day. He ditched you didn't he?" Enosh says.

"Left you for that woman." Enoch adds.

"Yeah, what a bitch, she treats us like shit. She treats you that way too? She's afraid of you, and yet there she goes…flaunting all over Neo like that."

"Where is the love?"

"So unfair, just isn't right."

Yes…yes it isn't right.

"You deserve better, Mr. Smith. We've seen it, we know it. All you want is something so very small, and yet he neglects it from you." The brothers continue.

"We were deprived of the same thing before."

"Yes, but it was finally given to us."

"Neo…" Smith whispers.

"Forget him, he's betraying you. Leaving you for that bitch."

"The bitch who won't let us play with the 'sane' pin ball machine in their lobby. Pft."

"He'll leave you soon. Leave you all alone like people did with us."

"You don't want to be all alone do ya, Smith?"

Smith shakes his head.

"When you're ready, Smith, you come find us." Enosh says.

"We can get you want you want." Enoch adds.

Enosh smiles and takes a step closer to Smith.

"We can give you a home. We can give you purpose. To become part of something far greater than you. To act as one in perfect unionson. It's quite lovely actually." Enosh said.

The French brothers smiled at each other, and began walking away, down to the criminally insane hallways. And Smith watched them…watch them leave, their words still echoing inside his head. How did they know…to say all the right things? How did they know that that is all he's ever wanted.

And the brothers laughed to each other, returning back to Armel, the King.

"You make it sound so happy." Enoch said.

"It is. You get chicks, booze, sex, money, and guns. What more would you want out of life?"

"It's true, the life of the mob."

"Yeah whatever, if you call us a mob in an insane asylum."

"Yeah at least we avoided prison. You wouldn't have survived a day in prison. The first night you'd wake up married to some guy named Jim, getting his named tattooed on your ass."

"Oh, that's encouraging dear brother, mother always told you to be good to me. Fuck you."

"I'm gonna try and play pinball again."

Smith stood there, wondering, wondering if that's exactly what he wants. To feel a purpose, to feel something more than this pain. Neo is leaving him, already he knows it, he's seen it. Why would Neo do that? What's wrong with him? He doesn't want to be one with them, he wants to be one with Neo. But Neo…doesn't even think about this does he?

"Smith!" the voice of Neo calls.

Smith turns again, and Neo comes running towards him.

"They said you shouldn't be out of bed!" Neo yelled.

"…Who…?" Smith whispered.

"The doctors! You need to rest, that's what they told me, you should sleep some more. I got you food, see?"

Neo held within his hand a cafeteria tray, of something that looked remotely like oatmeal, some juice, and some apples. Neo held it tightly, and smiled at Smith.

It hurt when he dreamed. When he saw Neo lying on the floor dying, and when Neo came back and started choking him to death. Was this what he had been wondering about all this time? Is that what he wanted? To dream that? To dream in pain? To dream…and only see his own suffering? Was that it?

Neo…smiling the same smile he did when he died.

He can't feel the pain anymore, and everything seems just a little more distant than it already was. He can't feel the bruises that he had in the dream, or the blood he had to spit out of his mouth. His own blood was actually very cold, unlike the other blood, Neo's blood. He can't feel it anymore, nothing anymore.

He wants to again. Feel anything, even that pain again.

Neo's still smiling, and Smith steps towards. Neo who kills him in his dreams, Neo who dies in his dreams, and Neo who leaves him when he is awake. Neo who loves Trinity, Neo who will leave him for Trinity. Everything, it's all for Trinity isn't it?

And Smith falls onto Neo's shoulder, and Neo almost drops the food. Can't stand anymore…getting dizzy. The world is falling away.

Everything is slipping away. The white is blending together, the details are getting lost. Everyone is faceless, and silent, and they're all looking at him. It's so far away, so very far away.

"Smith? Hey, it's okay, come on…let's go back to the room. You can rest and eat okay?" Neo smiles, and drags Smith back to the cell.

He can't really hear Neo, or anyone else for that matter. As if he were separate from the surrounding world. This had to be another dream, this couldn't be real, everything is so far away, so two dimensional, so artificial. Nothing is real anymore. None of this seems real anymore, was it ever real? He's dreaming, he knows he's dreaming. He feels nothing here again, and everything is gone now. This has to be dream, this can't be real. This can't be real, none of this can be real. It's all so fake, he can't feel anything here.

Feel something, anything. Pain, again, he'll settle to feel that again. Punch me, Neo. Kick me, choke me, stab me, cut me. Make me feel something Neo…Neo…

He can't talk anymore, maybe that's because of the drugs.

But the rest…no, this isn't real, please don't let this be real.

It can't be like this, this isn't it, this isn't his. This world it isn't his. Just before all this, before Jones and Brown ever crossed his mind it was all so real, it was what it was. And now…it's like he's awakened to it all, and now none of it seems real anymore. But…it can't be like this again…not again. He can't feel nothing again!

Neo said something as he laid Smith in bed, something about shaking a lot. Smith couldn't hear, wasn't listening. And as he laid down, he wasn't able to move. Neo sat on the floor next to him, and spoke to him, none of which Smith understood. And Neo looked at him, with those happy eyes.

And for a time Michelle, Trinity came by, and Smith's hands began shaking.

This isn't how it's supposed to be, no, he can't feel anymore, it wasn't like this before. If he was One…if they were One, this wouldn't be happening, no he would be able to feel with Neo! He would be able to see! That's all he needs, to be One. To feel. To act and see, and feel as One. To know as One. Give him that, if nothing give him that….

Smith would not sleep. He would just lie in his bed, with Neo sitting across the way. Just lie there, looking up at the ceiling. No, not even when the sun was gone, and it was night. When Neo himself went to sleep, no, Smith did not sleep. Smith knew what would happen, he dream again.

And again he would die, and perhaps waken even more distant from this world than he is now, until finally he would just fade away.

---------------

Next Chapter: Numb Again (might change)

A little rant from the author, you don't have to read, it's just me talking about the story, because I felt like talking about it to you guys:

A bit of Smith theme, but I did enjoy writing the little conversation with Neo and Michelle. I love writing Neo, he's always so…innocent in this, and now apparently wiser than Smith has assumed. I actually had a story in my mind about a duo in an insane asylum that was actually based on the idea of what would happen if both Neo and Smith were in an asylum. But then I started writing this story and here we are. Neo I try to make as innocent as possible, as I thought he should have been made in the movies, just a scared man up against something he has no full idea of. Neo I write…like I imagine a ten year old Neo to be, still just a kid, innocent and everything is fine. He's just older, and understands a lot more, but still is…open and happy about his life even the parts he doesn't remember.

Smith in this, well I wrote Smith how I thought the real Agent Smith would be, with a tad of emotion with Neo. But now, well now…it's what Areie said. Yes, Areie, that's exactly it, the "saner" Smith is actually the one that is more "insane." Just like in the movies, as Agent Smith is awakened to something "better" he actually…well you've all seen the movie, remember the evil, crazy laugh he had? I'm trying to keep Smith in the same pattern he had in the movies. Like fine as he is, wondering what he was or could be, being pushed over the edge by his questions, lost in his questions, rejects everything, becomes hateful and vengeful. And well I can't tell you the end now can I? But I really enjoy writing Smith, even though Neo is a little more new to me, and fun. Smith's mine, I've always done Smith, and it's just fun taking this part of him.

Now, the most difficult thing was…the outside characters. Deciding who to put in, and how. Armel, Merovingian, aw man, when that came up I had this huge grin on my face, it was just so perfect. Armel (who is also the name of the bad guy in my script, and yes he is French too), was just so perfect. I always wanted to do a Merovingian story where he's just doing drugs, having sex, and is completely insane, and well…if I go any further I'll reveal more of this story, so I won't. There was another one I've sort of abandoned where he speaks to Smith before Smith well takes him over. Showing they both have an…equal hatred for Neo, but for entirely different reasons.

Enosh, and Enoch are supposed to be Cain and Abel. Enosh was the first son of Seth, the third son of Adam and Eve. And Enoch is the first son of Cain, so I tried to keep the namesake of Cain and Abel in Enosh and Enoch. I was very excited when I found the names actually, when I was at first looking up other French names.

Oh and if anyone is still wondering what the three spirals are that Smith painted, go watch the first Matrix, look for some spirals near the end.

Oh, and you'll still have to read to see if they're really insane or if it all happened, I won't tell.

Don't worry everyone it's all up there, in my little head. Got it all sorted out more or less.

Go google IMPS: THE RELENTLESS and find out what it is. And visit the Hatchet movie website (not based on the book).

The Chapters might come in a bit slower, with High school starting to give out heavier loads of homework. But do not worry, I am devoted to this story like no other story before! This will be done, and it will probably be my favorite. I do so enjoy the aspects of insanity and sanity. Check out a man named Renfield that I quite love.

Now please Review, they make me so happy!

Love, Shadow.


	9. Numb Again

"Are the drugs wearing off?"

Neo sat on the foot of Smith's bed as Smith himself shook his head, hiding his face in his hands. The morning daylight was shining through their little window, but they hid in the dark, in the corners where Shadows like to linger. Smith said the light was hurting his eyes, so he went under his thin covers, but Neo pulled them back.

"I don't know…" Smith replied.

"They gave you a lot…most of them were injections…"

Smith rubbed his eyes.

"I didn't even know this place had a hospital." Neo goes on. "There were all these tubes…and machines…they were going to put a tube in your throat if you didn't start breathing again…"

Neo looks away, his eyes moving around, trying not to picture it all again. He voice is soft, and he is afraid of it. Afraid of it all, and the fact that it looked completely familiar to him.

"A tube…?" Smith looked up, and Neo nodded.

Smith immediately dug his head into his hands again so he would have to look at anything anymore. What happened to him? What was happening to him? He's thinking more clearly, and now he's questioning himself again. Again and again, more questions. He sighs, and looks up at Neo.

"You didn't sleep did you?" Neo asks.

Smith shakes his head.

"I had a dream. A new one." Neo says.

No, no more dreams, Smith thinks to himself. No more dreams. Don't tell me about your dreams, when all I can have are nightmares. No more dreams, ever. None of these nightmares to linger throughout the mind.

"Still someone died in it…" Neo continues. "But…I think he was okay with it… Like he's the one person I've watch die…that was really ready to die. Anyway…there was this Asian man…and he was leading me through a hallway. It was long and white, and it sort of looked like this place, and I assumed it was the Asylum. He was leading me to a way out… He had all these keys around him, and one in his hand, and then we were running. I don't know from what, but he started running and I started running…He led me to a door, and I kept running, but he had stopped. I looked back very worried for him, but he just nodded to me, and as the door closed, he was shot several times…I don't know who killed him, but as I laid next to him, he seemed fine with it. He gave me this key and he told me where I could go to leave these place…and he died…"

"Perhaps it was his purpose." Smith says.

"Purpose?"

"His time to die."

"The purpose of life is to die? Makes you feel insignificant…"

"We are."

Neo raised his head, and looked over at Smith, scooting closer to him. Neo finally realized they had never discussed the ideas of death of a God. Neo hadn't even really thought about it by himself.

"What do you believe Smith?" Neo asked him. "About life, I mean…"

Smith looked up at Neo, and considered this for a moment.

"We live. We die. That is all." Smith told him.

"I thought you said there was a purpose in anything."

"There is a purpose in everything we do…but there is no purpose in life."

"You're atheist, Smith." Neo joked a little, giving a weak smile.

"Don't label me with such words. Religion. A human invention, a concept to make humans feel special, when really they are no different from dogs. To allow them to say they have a soul, and others don't. Religion the cause of all conflict."

Smith looked away from Neo as he said those words, knowing that they might offend Neo. And Neo was indeed taken back by the comment, and very surprised. Neo frowned at Smith, but eventually came closer to him again.

"Well I believe that there is a purpose in life. I just don't think I'm the One to find it out. Perhaps it is as simple as love." Neo smiled.

"Love…another invention. An illusion."

"Hey, don't say it like it's stupid or something. You're not in love, it's different when you are."

Smith would go no further on the subject.

"There's a big plan in life. It's all planned out, and in the end it all comes together." Neo motioned with his hands this coming together.

Smith huddled up some more, and put his face in his hands again, and Neo put his hand on his shoulder.

"You're okay now right?" Neo asked. "You're all better?"

"I don't know…"

"What does that mean?" Neo frowned.

"I don't know…" Smith said again.

"Oh Smith…be okay. Can I do anything?"

"No."

Neo frowned and sat back again.

"Aaron said you're supposed to take this pill." Neo held up a red pill and gave it to Smith.

Smith grabbed it.

"You didn't get any sleep did you?" Neo asked.

Smith shook his head.

----------

"You should eat."

"I don't want to."

"Come on. Please eat?"

"No."

"Please?"

"You dragged me out of here, what more do you want?"

Neo stopped and Smith kept going. Smith looked back and stopped, waiting for Neo, and Neo was frowning at him, sad and lonely look, the kind that made his happy brown eyes pathetic.

"Are you angry with me?" Neo asked.

Smith shook his head.

"Of course not." Smith told him.

"You seem upset with something." Neo said.

"I'm not."

"Yes you are, you're lying."

Smith frowned, and Neo bit his lip. And there was yet another moment of silence that the mad never really notice. Smith looked away to his right, and Neo walked towards him, putting his head on Smith's shoulder.

"I'm sorry for whatever it is I've done." Neo said.

Smith waited for a moment, and shrugged Neo off, and began walking away.

"You've done nothing." Smith said.

But the way Smith said it, Neo really knew he meant, "You've done something nearly unforgivable." And Neo stood there for a moment unsure of what to do, how to go on. This wasn't like Smith, he knew it wasn't. And if he knew Smith, he knew that it would be difficult for Smith to forgive him…if he ever would. Neo watched a little longer, and ran after him.

What was he supposed to do? There's too many things happening all at once, all this chaos silenced to look like nothing. Trinity, Michelle actually speaking to him, he still thought about it, picturing her there, watching him sleep. Dreaming she would join him. And then there was Smith! Smith upset with him! Smith angry, without being angry, Smith afraid, without being sad! He knew all this, he knew everything, but what could he do to help Smith? And the dream! The dream so much more different the rest!

Yes…the dream was somewhere else…Not Zion, not this place, somewhere else, somewhere…far away perhaps. Wait, what did the man with keys say to him?

Smith's rubbing his face, his head hurts, Neo can tell. Neo grabs Smith's arm.

"Maybe…we could go fight? You can hit me really hard if you want." Neo suggested.

"Mr. Anderson…" Smith began, shaking Neo off his arm. "You wouldn't be able to understand."

------------------

No, he could never understand. How could he? He hasn't seen what he's seen. He hasn't thought what he's thought. No, he's not like him. They're completely different, he was just too blind to see it. No, he'll never understand. He'll never see what he sees, or smells what he smells. No, he's not like him! He's unique! He's different!

And Neo nearly did a back flip bending down to dodge one of Smith's punches. He ended up rolling to the side, trying to kick swipe Smith into falling over, but he jumped back.

No, they're not like each other. He doesn't want to be alike anymore. He could never be like Neo. He can't dream like Neo, he can't see like Neo, he can't be happy like Neo. Why even keep trying? Why fight a hopeless battle? Outnumbered by yourself? Words would never have worked, words only go so far, it is the mind that decides what to really hear and understand. Explanation is irrelevant. All that matters is now Smith knows, he is not like Neo. He'll never be like Neo. He'll never understand Neo, and Neo will never understand him.

Smith charges at Neo before the man even has a chance to get up, kicking him with his knee in the chest. Neo flops over onto his back, forcing himself to roll onto his chest and push himself up with his arms. Smith charged again, and Neo flipped to the side to dodge. Smith hooked at Neo's face, and Neo barely ducked in time.

No use even trying to see through those happy eyes. He doesn't know how to be happy, what is the use? Neo doesn't know about his dream. Neo doesn't know what it's like to stare at a dead man, still smiling you, expecting you to do something, asking something. Those happy brown eyes, still happy even in death, still asking so much, that Smith would never be able to give. All he wants is to be happy.

Smith punched Neo in the chest, and Neo had to flip back to get out of the way.

Why can't he be happy? What's wrong with him? Is he defected? Is he the truly mad one? He wants to be happy! To feel more than this empty fear! Why won't you let me be happy? Why do you do it! Why do you go on! Look at us! Look at what we've become! Let me smile!

Neo dodged and punched Smith in the ribs, Smith kicked Neo in the head with his right leg, and stumbled as he jumped back, only to start charging for Neo again.

Stop looking at me with those happy eyes! So alive! So glad about it! Stop smiling at me! Stop touching me! Get away from me! Get away!

Smith punches at Neo, and Neo grabs his fist.

Stop it!

And Neo bangs his head against Smith, and the two jump back from each other. Neo takes the offensive jumping forth with a kick to the chest, Smith grabs Neo as he is in the air, and throws him to the ground.

Smith is alone again, there is no Jones, there is no Brown. There is no happiness, or joy. There is only the inevitable fear when he closes his eyes, and all he can see is Neo. Neo choking him to death.

Neo's on the ground, and Smith jumps on him, putting on hand around his neck.

"Smith!" Neo screams.

Yes, no more happiness in those brown eyes is there? No…no, only fear. The joy is gone, replaced with one of the most primal emotions, inventions of all time! Fear!

Smith stares down at Neo, and slowly loosens his grip.

"Smith…"

Neo grabs Smith's hand, and pulls it away from his neck, and Smith sits there, his knee on Neo's chest. And where there was once anger, is now replaced with nothing. Smith's eyes were full of anger and something horrible, but now it's vanishing, being pulled away by an invisible string, and it leaves nothing behind. Smith's grin goes away with it, and now he's just looking down at Neo. Neo smiles up at him, and Smith closes his eyes, slowly falling over to his side, where he lays down and rests.

Neo rises to his knees, coughing and rubbing his neck, and Smith…Smith still lies there, his eyes closed.

Neo nudges him.

The world has faded away now, for Smith…the world is gone. He felt for a while there…outbursts of anger and frustration, desperation, envy, hatred…but not he felt it…leaving him, being pulled right out of him. Someone reaching inside him, picking which parts to stay in, and which to take out. He felt their hands clawing through his back, tearing away these feelings. The world is gone again.

He is numb again.

"Smith…?"

Smith sighs, and slowly opens his eyes, to look at his own hand that lies beside him.

"I'm sorry." Smith says. "I didn't even realize…"

Neo sits there next to him.

"It's okay, Smith…I understand…" Neo whispered.

Smith laid on his side, almost covering his eyes.

"I had dream, Neo…" Smith whispers.

"A dream?" Neo bends down closer. "Tell me…"

"I can't…."

"Please, tell me?"

There was a strange expression on Smith's face. One Neo had trouble understanding, and was frowning at. There was a daze in his eyes, and he wouldn't look at Neo. His mouth was slightly open, as if he wanted to say something. There was…sadness there inside him, and anger, desperation, other things? And it all formed into a look of sear sorrow. Like he had just given up a war, given up on everything. Like there was nothing he could do now, nothing left for him there.

"I dreamed that I stood in a hallway…and the walls were stained with blood…I could see Jones and Brown and they were looking at me, and…" Smith whispered.

"Jones and Brown, again? But Smith…" Neo interrupted.

"I was dying."

Neo had one of those little gasps he imagined mothers had when they saw their children fall down.

"Yes…dying. Have you seen that hallway Neo? Before in your dreams?"

"No…I'm sorry Smith I haven't."

"Oh…"

"Was I in it?"

Yes, Neo, yes you were there with me. I stood by you as you died, and you were coughing up so much blood, you were bleeding to death you had cuts all over you. And then when you died he rose to your feet and grabbed me by my neck, and you started to kill me.

"No." Smith says.

Neo frowns.

"Neo…I will stay here with you, okay?"

"Okay Smith."

"I just…need to rest…"

Smith closed his eyes, and went to sleep. And Neo sat there next to him, watching and eyeing the walls of the Asylum. Neo would sit there for hours, not even leaving for food. He would sit there, and watch the very sun set. He would sit there, and just wait until Smith was ready to leave.

They didn't know it at the time, and it would be a long time before they would ever realize just how fast they were moving when they were fighting. The others saw, the sane and insane watched from afar, almost afraid. How fast they moved…when they seemed to be in two places at once. Too fast, far too fast to be anything human…The punches, the kicks, the dodging, they all seemed like blurs at the time.

Michelle, Trinity saw from inside the Asylum, pressing her hands on the glass windows. She watched them…move so fast, too fast. She watched them…as Neo was only trying to survive, and Smith…Smith was really trying to hurt him…And she watched as they sat together on the grassy fields of the outside area. And she kept walking by making sure they were still there, still safe.

Brothers named Enoch and Enosh run to their King, to tell of the fight. And Kind Armel will only believe his assumptions about the men named Neo and Smith are true, they have Angels and Demons following them.

The doctors also saw, enjoying their lovely window view of the outside, with their one way mirrors. Yes, indeed they saw, they saw everything. _Everything._

_------------------ _

The world is gone now. It slipped away.

It's back to how it once was only days ago. Where the mind is at peace, and the face is unemotional. There is nothing in his eyes, no anger, no happiness. He has returned to observing, and watching after Neo.

He's numb again, and he isn't sure if he likes it.

It's like he wants to scream, but can't. Or wants to cry and can't. A force inside him that is trying to push him forward with all its might, and still he can't step forward, still something binds him to the ground to which he stands. Something he can't understand, something that seemingly seems to be built into his own broken and beaten mind.

Smith wakes up in his bed and once again Neo is gone. The sun is almost completely gone.

Smith had a dream.

He rises up to rest his back upright on the wall, and he sighs to himself. He raises his hand to see that it is shaking, he frowns for a moment but quickly puts his hands under the covers so he can't see it. And he rests his head on the wall, looking at the entire world.

It feels like he's drowning almost. Like the entire world is underwater, it's hard to move, hard to hear, and hard to see. As if he were floating away in the water. The current has him doesn't it? Yes it's drifting him away.

Neo you won't leave will you? No, you wouldn't leave, would you? Not even for her? But you look at her so differently than me. What is that makes her better than me, Neo? What makes you want her instead of me? What have I done? What have I done to be different than you? If we were the same would you stay with me? Why do you go to her? Why do you leave me, even after all these years you've stayed by my side? What makes her so great? Why do you do it? Why, why? Is it for freedom? Or truth? Is it for love?

Tell me what love is, tell me why it's worth leaving me behind to die.

Does he love? Can he control if he does or not, or is it out of his power? I love. But what if he doesn't? What if what he feels is not love, and he only thinks it is? I love. Does he? I love. I do not love. I hate. I do not hate. I am angry. I am not angry. I am sad. I am not sad. I am beaten. I am not beaten. I am alone…

What is this? These things coming from the memories? Why can't he feel them anymore? Why do the memories bring only him pain? What did he do wrong?

Why is it all numbed again?

Was he always like this?

Can he make it stop?

He doesn't understand it. This love, this illusion created to give more purpose in breeding than it needs. He doesn't understand, he doesn't know if he wants to understand it. Love, the word, the emotion seems to be destroying more than it is creating. Is it this love that is separating him from the world? Was Neo his only real connection to it, that's how he could feel it? And now with Neo…leaving has the connection to the world being lost?

Was the world he felt even real? Was he even real? Maybe none of it is, maybe that's why it's so hard to feel it now.

Why did this start with Jones and Brown? Who are they? Why is this happening so quickly? Who is he?

Make these questions stop, give upon me the answers I seek. The answers I need so that I may go on with this twisted life I've nearly forgotten. Answers, give me answers to these questions of why and who. Tell me who I am! What purpose did I serve! Why has the world left me!

Am I truly insane?

And all these questions, and hopes, and wonders, this confusion, and desire. All the screaming and the faces of few memories, the blood and the killing, the love and the hate, the numbed and the hurting. All contained with him as he sat down on the bed, closing his eyes.

Smith had a dream where Neo was killing him.

Smith was falling.

Smith's hands were shaking.

--------------

The doctors said they had to go inside now, the sun was going and everyone had to go to sleep now. But not Neo, no, no. Aaron carried Smith back to the cell, and Neo lied you see. He said he was going to go to the bathroom, but that's not really where Neo is going, no he lied. Because in all this time sitting down next to Smith, Neo knew he had to lie. Because he could hear it, somewhere inside him. He would close his eyes and see the man with the keys again in a white hallway, that Neo assumed was the Asylum. The man with keys would always smile, look around to see if anyone was there, and then say something to him.

Finally Neo could hear what he was saying all this time, and the Key Man told Neo to repeat them, and Neo did again and again and again.

And now there was a distinct voice inside his head, telling him what he was told. A Voice…not his or Smith's, a new voice, somehow familiar. It would make Neo smile.

The sun was almost gone, and the night guards were coming. It would be around this time that Michelle would be walking towards her black little car, and Neo would usually watch as she drive away. Not this time though, no he had something to do, the voice telling him where to go and when. It had to be now, it had to be this way! Before anyone could ever see him!

This was it.

Nothing else mattered, this had to be the only thing he was thinking about. Forget Smith and Michelle just for a moment, just for a little moment, that's all he needs. He'll go back soon and take care of Smith, and Smith will be so pleased when he gets back he knows it, he believes it. He had to part from Smith, even though they've never done that before in all their lives that they can remember. But it had to be this way, at least this one time, it was worth it, Neo knew it.

Smith…who was alone and somehow suffering, angry and suffering for some reason. Neo knew how he could make it better, or yes he knew. He knew this would end it all, this would make Smith happy again, or at least not angry anymore. He knew it, Smith had to forgive after this.

"Down the windy halls where the so called diseased lie and begin to wither into something they can never really be again. The heart can mend with great time and care, but the mind is a different story. Once broken the mind can never fully heal, and those the so said sane try to fix, are only making them pretend to be something they could never really be. Like you, Neo, they are asking you to be something you are not. You must follow these sane men to the doors which only they can pass, and when the sun leaves the horizon, that is when two men shall go through these doors. They shall leave something behind for you, Neo, and this you must keep no matter what." Neo told himself.

The guards were yelling at people to go back to their cells, and Neo ran into a hallway, hiding between a doorway as he watched two guards pass by. Neo poked his head out of the doorway, getting some distance between them. He did know where the sane men goes, and those doors only they can pass, the difficulty was getting there.

But Neo, being Neo, and looking strange whenever he crouches down, being such a tall and skinny man, was able to find a way. And in the corner he stood, between a door and another wall, he saw two men pass by through the doors, and down on the ground, something was left for him.

In those moments Neo's hands were shaking.

-----------------

Smith was peering through the window of his door, the door now locked from the outside from the night guards. He was pacing around almost, shaking and rubbing his hand to make it stop shaking like it was, to get whatever was causing that to go away. To make the numbness go away. He was waiting for Neo, to which he assumed was getting in some kind of trouble. He saw someone as best as he could and he jumped into his bed, as if he had been doing nothing this entire time.

They were two large night guards, larger than regular actually. One opened the door, and the other had Neo raised off the ground by the sides of his arms and was being carried by the guard. He was placed down, and the guards left.

Neo had the biggest grin on his face.

"Why did you leave me again? Wait…what is it?" Smith asked.

Neo just grinned.

"Tell me." Smith said urgently.

Neo looked through the window making sure no one was there, and he jumped next to Smith on the bed, and still he was grinning. Yes, this, this will make up for whatever he did to Smith. Smith can't be upset after this. Not after this, Neo's gift to Smith.

Neo closed in on Smith, and slowly opened his mouth.

And there lying under Neo's tongue, was a key. Neo grabbed it, rubbed it on his shirt, and held it up to Smith.

"Do you see it?" Neo asked.

"It's…It's…" Smith began.

"It's a key. A key, Smith! He told me it would be there and he wasn't lying to me!"

"Who?"

"The Key man! The man with the Keys, he told me, Smith! He's going to help us get out of here, I know he is!"

Smith looked up at Neo, still a little dazed. Unsure of what thought to pursue further. The possibilities of this key, their possible escape, what they would do if they did get away, who would he be then, or if to go on about how could Neo leave him, ask him there and now. But no, there's too many of these thoughts, not one can be distinguished from the other.

All that could be formed was that there was a key. A key.

Neo grinned putting the key into the lock on the door, and hearing that beautiful click a door makes when it is unlocked. Neo smiled the biggest smile he had ever smiled since he last saw Trinity, Michelle. And he laid his forehead on the side of the door. Smith came up behind him and placed his hands on the doorknob turning it.

The door opened.

"Where will we go?" Neo asked for a moment looking down the empty hallway.

"I will stay with you Neo." Smith said stepping into the hallway.

For as long as I can.

----------------

Next Chapter: Open the Door

"I can only show you the door, you must open it."

Next Chapter we'll be able to...well revisit some of our inmates in the Asylum.

This was one of the chapters I decided to add on in later revisions of my little story outline, which I don't usually do. Usually I keep it up in my head, but I feel like I'll forget with all the homework my school has me doing.

Still having trouble with the spirals? Do you want me to tell you guys?

Please R/R


	10. Open The Door

"I can only show you the door, it must be you who must open it." Neo whispered.

He looked up as Smith walked in front of him, and began to speak again.

"When I was little, I always was afraid that there was a monster in my closet. I'd always look for it in the day, but I thought it was sort of like a shadow, and would just disappear you know? That's when I began to be afraid of my own shadow, I thought it was the monster in disguise!" Neo mumbled at Smith.

"Mr. Anderson…" Smith began. "You don't remember your childhood."

Neo frowned and stopped for a moment.

"I know, but I like to imagine it." Neo explained.

Smith gave a puzzled look raising an eyebrow.

"I like thinking about it. It calms me down. And talking about it, that calms me down too." Neo said.

"So that means you're nervous?"

Neo looked ashamed as he slowly nodded. Smith walked along, pulling Neo with him.

"Everything will be okay, Mr. Anderson." Smith said.

The hallways were long and dark, and Neo can't really see the end of them, but he isn't afraid, even though he knows this is probably a very scary situation. Neo had often been thinking about himself, who he was and all. He enjoyed the idea of himself as a child, and wondered what he looked like back then. He made up his childhood actually, how many people can say that? Neo assumed his child self, say seven years old would be terrified right about now.

But Smith was leading the way anyway, if the monster was ahead of them, Smith would be eaten. Not that Neo really wanted that. Smith could take care of himself anyway.

"Do you ever imagine it, Smith? Your childhood?" Neo asked, trying to shake this little nervousness of his.

"No." Smith said lightly.

It still seemed like Smith was angry with him, but in truth Smith had almost forgotten all about it. All this sadness and despair, no it didn't' matter now. They had a key. A piece of metal that shall unlock them from this horrible, horrible place. This prison, an entrapment for the mind. They would leave this place now; figure it out away from here. Find people they knew…Jones and Brown…

"You don't? Why not?" Neo asked.

"I don't believe it really matters." Smith said.

"Of course it does!"

"Sh!"

"Sorry…of course it does, Smith. It was us, it's part of who we are."

"If it is so important, why is it so easily forgotten?"

Neo frowned, but didn't want Smith to be anymore upset than he probably was. Neo bit his tongue, and went along with Smith down these hallways.

Was this it? The final time they were ever going walk down these halls? It had to be, they had the key. The key that would end this all. Yes, they'll leave this place and go to the city and see the rest of the world. They will be free to explore themselves, and find the help they need. No longer will they ever have to stand these white places ever again. No they'll be free. They just have to get pass the night guards and all these video cameras. That's all they'll have to do. Go to the doors that only the sane may pass, and go through them, and run away from this horrible place.

There's a camera that moves back and forth at the end of each hallway, this is easily escaped as Smith and Neo run for it, right underneath the camera where its robotic eye cannot see them. And they quickly run out of its view when its back is turned.

"I bet we were friends as children." Neo says. "Like my parents knew yours or something."

"Maybe not, because it does seem that I am older than you. It's often needed in order to be friends children must be the same age."

Neo had a look of pure shock on his face.

"How old am I?" Neo asked.

"I don't know…. Come, we're almost there."

"But…how old am I…?"

Smith grabbed Neo by the wrist and started dragging him along the way. He looked down a second hallway to see if there were any guards, and ran across the other side. The door was in reach, the door where only the sane may pass, there it was, so close, waiting just for them. Smith smiled. He smiled, really smiled, nearly pushing Neo into the door, for he was the one with the key.

"Hurry." Smith said, containing excitement.

Neo grabbed the key from his hands and smiled at it, before putting it in.

But it wouldn't budge.

Neo's mouth immediately dropped open, and his knees almost buckled, and he stood there motionless, as the key would not fit.

"No…" Neo whispered.

"What?" Smith asked. "What!"

"It…it won't fit!" Neo cried.

"What! No, you're wrong it has to fit!"

Smith pushed Neo aside into the wall, and ran at the door grabbing the key and jamming it into the keyhole. He wouldn't accept it, it had to fit, it was fitting! This key was going to unlock this door, and let them out! He pushed the key has hard as he could, and twisted it as hard as he could. Then he stepped back away from the door, realizing no, it wasn't going to unlock.

And Smith punched as hard as he could at the door.

Neo had slid down to the floor from the side of the wall, his knees too weak to keep him up.

The key doesn't fit, the door will not open.

Smith bangs his head against the doors and closes his eyes.

"They…must have separate keys…" Neo whispered.

"No. This has to work, this must…this has to work! This must work! This must work! It works! I know it does!" Smith said. "I will not accept this."

"But…"

"We were so close! We're right here!" Smith screamed, pushing his head against the doors.

Smith with all his might punched the door again, and he leaned on the door, pressing his face into his hands. He made pathetic little gasps for air, little weeps that made it sure, he was trying not to cry. And Neo laid on the ground, shock and terror all over his face. His eyes shook, and his lips trembled, and the tears slowly rolled down his face.

Smith punched the wall again, and again, and again, and again.

"Smith…" Neo started.

And again, and again, and again…

"Smith!" Neo grabbed Smith's leg. "Stop it! They'll hear us!"

Smith froze, and slowly like Neo, fell to the ground.

"But we're right here…this isn't right…this can't be right…" Smith could only shake his head.

Smith held the key in his hand and looked at it.

"Perhaps…it isn't our time to leave yet…" Neo tried, with a weak smile, still with tears rolling down his face.

"No, this just isn't right, this isn't how it should be." Smith said, gripping the key.

"We should go…Smith, we should go, before the guards find us." Neo laid his head on Smith shoulder.

Smith shook his head.

"No, no, no…I won't go back. I won't go back empty handed…"

Shaking his head, again, and again, and again.

"I won't, Mr. Anderson, I won't…I won't go back there, not again! Not until I find something!" Smith yelled.

"Smith…you should be quiet." Neo whispered in a soft voice. He pressed his head harder on Smith's shoulder. "I'm going back to the room, okay? You have to come to…"

"No! You…you, you, you…you go back to the room! To the cell! I…I will look around…I…I…need to…I…I'll go back before they find me…"

"No!" Neo raised his head. "No! We can't be separated!"

"Neo let me do this!"

"But…we're not supposed to be separated." Neo said in a rather hushed voice. "You…said that yourself, we couldn't be! Something bad will happen!"

"Not this time! Not this one time! Let me do this…please…"

What could Neo do, but nod?

--------------

Smith opened a door.

Smith kept the key, he thought he would find some kind of use for it, he held it, rubbing it in one hand as he walked down a hallway he was never allowed to go down. The criminally insane. Apparently the key fits in every door inside the Asylum accept the one that leads out, of course, a Master key that excludes the sane part of this place.

Down these halls, down the halls that should be painted in blood…

He imagines what these people have done to end up in this horrible place. How many people have died at the hands of these people? How much blood was shed and now stains this world? How many single mothers have a child born from rape? People tortured from the mad and confused? What were these criminals thinking when they did these crimes? Did they enjoy it? Did they mean it? Did they understand what they were doing?

Were they trying to be free?

He stands there at the entrance for a moment, just waiting in the silence of it all. It isn't long before he can hear moans of a variety of madmen. Their cries echo through the hallways. It almost sounded like they were singing to each other. Cries, and moans of anger, hatred, or agony, all singing to each other.

It was quite lovely.

Smith began walking down these hallways, keeping his hand to the left wall. He didn't know what he was looking for, something to make this little sneaking out trip worth anything. Anything at all, he would take, anything. He didn't know if what he wanted was down this hallway, but he felt like he just wanted to go down this one. This one where he's never been allowed to go.

Where the truly mad lie.

To the right of him were cells much like his, white rooms with doors and little windows. Some were just barred doors, but the men inside seemed calm and saner than the rest. Smith wondered where the guards were, but decided not to care, and just look around. He could see through the window doors the criminally mad who slept or cried. Some were in the corner, some slept soundly, and others where bouncing themselves off padded walls. They didn't have anyone to fight against as they were doing this; they were just trying to hurt themselves, which Smith found to be incredibly odd.

He went on, deeper and deeper until the cries became louder, and the banging of bodies against the doors became drumbeats.

"You."

Smith turned his head.

"You. You with the demon as your friend. Monsieur Smith, a pleasure to meet you."

There was a man standing on his door, his window on the door was larger than the others, and opened barred. He rested his forehead on one of the bars, and his hand was reaching out from it. He had a thick French accent and was smiling at Smith. The Frenchman slipped his hands and arms through the bars, resting his head on them once again. He held in his right hand a plastic glass of rather cheap wine. It was nearly gone, and from the glaze in this man's eyes, Smith could tell he was drunk.

"I did not expect you to come so soon, nor at the dead of night."

Smith only stared at the man. Smith's natural curiosity settled in, as he tilted his head at the Frenchman.

"Ah, of course, excuse me, where are my manners? I am Armel."

Armel, the Frenchman, the King stuck out his hand further towards Smith, and Smith finally shook it.

"Demon?" Smith inquired.

"Yes, Monsieur Anderson, can you not see it?" Armel asked.

Smith shook his head, and Armel looked around him to see if anyone was in hearing distance. He stepped onto his toes, and whispered loudly to Smith.

"He has a demon inside him, Monsieur Smith, I suggest you leave his company before he infects you with it. That's what they do. The demons I mean, they go around, infecting everyone." Armel explained in his accent. "He has one inside him. I would try to help and tell you how you could remove it, but he was born with it, I can tell. You can't get it out."

Smith nodded.

"Don't let it get you, Monsieur Smith, that boy is going to turn on you, he'll let the demon have you, it will eat your soul." Armel continued.

Armel smiled a smug smile at Smith. The Frenchman seemed so calm by the whole thing; he began trailing his fingers up and down the bars on his door window as he stared at Smith. He sort of circled his wine glass in his hand, looking at it with that happy glaze.

"There are many demons in this place, they're trying to get me. But I have protectors…Angels. You must have an Angel Monsieur Smith, in order to obtain that key I see in your hand."

Smith held the key tighter.

"Yes, it was Mr. Anderson who found the key." Smith said.

Armel's mouth slightly opened.

"Then it is tainted, you should go no further Monsieur Smith."

Smith held the key tighter in his hand, and looked up at the Frenchman, understanding why he was here. The man was completely mad, this talk of Angels and Demons, mere characters, inventions in an overcomplicated story of life and death. There were no such things, why this Frenchman saw a demon inside Neo was beyond Smith. It was pure madness, nothing more, illogical, there was no explanation.

The drinking perhaps only served as further evidence. Drinking, intoxicating the mind itself, dulling it to a stand still. Drinking to help forget something, someone, drinking for the aroma. Smith wondered if the alcohol affected the drugs he was taking to further harm him rather than help heal, these doctors, they have no idea what they're doing Smith concluded.

"It is I who sent Enoch and Enosh to you, such holy names, that is why I keep them around. The Angels like those named after their younger children." Armel smiled.

"You sent them?" Smith snapped his head.

"Yes…it is I who have offered purpose to you. Of course there is no cause without effect. I give you something, Monsieur Smith, purpose, and you give me something in return. A cause, for an effect." Armel raised his head.

"What would I have to give you?" Smith asked.

"That key would be a lovely start. Oh yes, I would owe you a great deal for that."

Smith held the key away from Armel, and backed up into the wall. Armel in return backed away as well from the door; downing what little wine he had left in his glass. He dropped it to the floor, and it bounced for a moment, and Armel smiled.

"Ah I see…" Armel said. "You do not believe that I am trustworthy, my talk of these holy and unholy things…Many do not believe me, but they all return to me anyway. Monsieur, I can see you are a respectable man, worthy of an Angelic guardian. An old soul…" Armel nodded. "If you go on Monsieur, do remember, the ravings of the mad are the secrets of God."

---------------

Neo opened a door.

Neo was having a more difficult time with the guards. Just as he was finally getting to his hall a guard came out of one of the rooms, and Neo ran for it, down out of his hallway and running into another's. He stood at the doorway for a moment, waiting for the guard to come out so that he may be able to go back to his cell. But the guard didn't come out for fifteen minutes, and to this impatient and anxious Neo was long enough for him to try and find another route.

Neo too began to hear the cries of his fellow mad. But these were different than the ones Smith would experience. No, Neo could hear these without any noise. People…things spoken but not said. Yes, Neo could hear screaming, but no one was screaming. He could hear crying when no one was crying. He could hear things that weren't really there. Crying on the inside, he heard clear as day.

He was never going to be sure if he was imagining these sounds, or in fact he was hearing something perhaps inside them.

He was rubbing his arms in anxiety, it was unsafe out there, he could get in a lot of trouble, and then what? They might not let him out of his room at all! He wouldn't be able to go outside, or see Michelle! No, he had to get back to his room, a quick in and out, that's all this should have ever been. No, he should be away from her! He should be in the city by now if things went the way they should have. Neo bit his lip as he looked down the hallway, listening to these cries.

They all were in so much pain…

"Neo…"

The man jumped at the sound of the soft voice through the screams. He looked to his right, and there sat a girl; she couldn't have been older than eighteen. The cells here were different, possible for the saner of the insane. These had open barred doors, like that have a prison, and a seemingly comfier bed. And in one of these cells, sat a lonely little Asian girl, sitting on the ground, her back to the wall. She looked up at Neo with these big brown eyes, the color that matched Neo's own eyes. She crawled towards the bars, and pulled herself up grabbing the bars. Even standing up, she was just a small and fragile little thing, Neo began to realize how much taller he was than most people.

She looked up at him with those sad brown eyes, so unlike and like his. And she shook her head, and seemed to have asked him something, but Neo didn't really hear it.

"Yeah?" Neo finally coughed out.

"It's Neo, right?" The little girl asked.

Neo nodded, and smiled, this made her smile, which made him happy.

"What are you doing out here?" The little girl asked in the softest voice Neo had ever heard.

Neo frowned and looked up and down the halls.

"I wanted to look around…" Neo explained.

The girl smiled and nodded her head, resting it against the bars.

"I saw your painting…I liked the fire…you got the…um…colors perfectly, and they…blended together really nicely…the red, yes I liked the red the best." The little girl went on.

Neo frowned a bit, he still didn't like that thing, that horrible painting he put out into the world, so all may be able to see the horrible things only he should see.

"Well…I'm glad you liked it, it's okay I guess." Neo said, forcing a smile.

"I like…the green things too…at the top… I've…seen things similar. Some…look Japanese, and I would know…. but…some are different…. but I've seen them too, Neo. I've seen them, and you've seen them, we both couldn't have just made it up could we? No, not like what the doctors tell me, it wasn't a dream, was it Neo? No I saw it, I know I did. And you've seen it right Neo?"

Neo bits his lip; her voice was trembling, so soft and quiet. As if she had been taught to never yell, or never had an opportunity to speak that often. Her voice sounded afraid, unused, ignored, and it was such a lovely voice too.

"But I've only seen those things in my dreams…" Neo explained.

"Oh…" She frowned, and looked like she was about to cry.

"But…but, I don't remember a lot…and my dreams…they're my memories. I did…I did see those things."

The girl smiled brightly, and would have hugged Neo if not for the bars separating them.

"My name is Miho." The not so little girl said, reaching her hand out to Neo.

Neo grabbed it and shook it, but frowned at what he saw as she reached his hand to him. Cuts, long, deep cuts all around her wrists and hand. Cuts, and scars, and even a few burnt marks.

And when the not so little girl stepped back and looked at Neo, smiling at him, he knew what she was saying, he heard it in fact, like he heard all the others screaming. She was saying, "Help me."

And Neo would.

-----------------

These screams, this agony, all this pain it gets louder the deeper you go. The more and more these madmen slam themselves against the walls and the doors. The louder they scream, the faster the drumbeat goes. The clearer and clearer their madness becomes. Men in straight jackets scream, pushing themselves on the door as they see Smith pass bye. Men chant complete nonsense as he passes them by.

Smith thinks to himself, this, this is true madness; this is where rational thought is no more. This is insanity. He is not this, he is not insane, he is sane, he possesses sanity. He isn't like them, no not like them at all.

Smith isn't like anyone.

He likes watching them, expressing their madness. He likes seeing how different, how sane, and rational he is to them. He listens to them, watching them, going deeper and deeper into this criminally insane hallway.

"I didn't mean to hurt him! I didn't mean to hurt him! The knife was just on the ground, then it wasn't! I didn't kill him! He's still alive, my son is still alive!"

"Blood! The blood! The blood is the life!"

"I hate you! I hate you! You never told me why you did this to me! You never said why! Why did you do it! Why do you do it! Do you know what you've done to me! I hate you!"

These cries, so full of hate, agony, pain, torture, all so familiar….

But then Smith comes to a room, a cell, a little personal prison, where the man is not screaming, is not crying in pain, or throwing himself against the walls. No, this man is only sitting there, on his bed, with his hands to his head as if he were praying. Smith tilts his head at the man. Why? Why unlike all the others here are you not screaming? Why? What has happened to you to make you not scream like all the others? Are you not in any pain being her? Why?

The man does not move for an estimated ten minutes, and Smith decides the man is safe and sane enough to allow him to enter. Besides, Smith knows kung fu, and is quite strong for a man of his stature and age, he is sure he is able to fend for himself.

Smith puts the Master Key into the man's lock, click goes the lock. And as Smith enters, the man jumps down to the ground crawling to the corner in pure fear. Smith with a blank and emotionless face tilts his head at the man, motioning with his hands that he doesn't want to hurt him. The door closes, and Smith hides the key in his sleeve.

Smith can see the man's name printed on his clothing, marking him, labeling him. His name is Joshua Daniels, and he is currently curled up in the corner looking up at Smith.

This is one of those silent moments again.

"Who…who are you?" Finally coughs out Joshua.

Smith tilts his head at first.

"Why?"

"Excuse…Excuse me?"

"Why aren't you screaming? Everyone else here screams."

Joshua is a rather pale man, very thin and fine as well, he stands like he is very fragile, perhaps a gust of wind could blow him away. His face was a perfect example of how much the human skull really affects the face. His cheekbones could be seen, and the skin beneath his eyes was so thin and blue from insomnia. His hair was bushy, and he hadn't shave in a while, they don't let him have knives or blades anymore. He sat in the corner across from his not so comfy bed, and stared up at Smith. At first confused by the question, but in the silence hearing the screams of his fellow criminally insane.

"Because…Because I don't need to scream." Joshua came up with.

"Why do they?" Smith inquired.

"Because…they're in pain."

"Why?"

"They've done…horrible things."

"And you aren't in pain? So you haven't done horrible things?"

"No! No…I've done horrible…horrible things…I just…don't hurt as much anymore."

Smith thought about this for a moment, he was still a bit confused on the subject, but inevitably decided he would get no further input from this Joshua Daniels, as he seemed to be quite obviously afraid of him. Smith turned towards the door getting the key out to leave.

"Wait!" Joshua yelled, standing up. "Where…where are you going?"

Smith turned back to him.

"Away." Smith said.

"But…who are you?"

"No one." Smith said.

"No! No, you're like me!"

And this simple statement made Smith's intentionally and nonintentionally expressionless face glimmer with curiosity. Smith step towards Joshua who was now hunched over looking like his fragile self, boney fingers reaching towards Smith.

"You're…you live here…you're not…you're insane like me." Joshua beamed, smiling.

"I do not meet societies' definition of sane, but believe me, Mr. Daniels, I am sane."

Joshua frowned for a moment.

"But you're here!" Joshua through out his boney arms. "I don't care how you got here, how you got out, but you're here! Right? You're here; you're not…something in my head are you? No, no, you couldn't be, you're more real than my other delusions, and you're kinder than they are! You're here, aren't you, you're really here?"

Joshua smiled and step towards Smith again. Smith was obviously confused by his statements, so Joshua took a step back, gesturing with his hands to wait a moment, as he paced back a forth between the wall and his bed.

"I'm…Schizophrenic, see…I have trouble sometimes…telling what is real and what is my own mind making things up. The pills they give me…they've been doing okay with me, but…sometimes I wonder if it's really working. Is that nurse I see really a nurse? Is she really a girl? Is her hair really black, could it be blonde? Are here eyes blue, or are they brown? I'm just…not sure if you are real…" Joshua explained.

"Mr. Daniels you have my word that I am real." Smith said.

"Oh good, wonderful. Like I said, I don't care how you got here, just please, please don't leave now." Joshua pleaded. "I've been alone for so long, no one but the people in my head…I just…need some interaction."

Smith titled his head. He felt compassion. A likeness to this weaker man. Being isolated like this…it was familiar.

"I will stay with you, Mr. Daniels." Smith nodded.

"Oh good!" The man exclaimed. "Let's see…would…would you like something to eat? I have…I have my dinner and lunch, I have some really cold bacon from breakfast, do you want it, I must be a good host."

"Your food? You don't eat it?"

"No, no…I'm um…I'm fasting right now."

"You are a man of religion?"

"Oh, god no…I stopped believing in that stuff a long time ago…destiny, fate, god, it just…didn't feel right. Fasting though, it helps keep my mind sharp, helps me stay in control."

Joshua led Smith to his bed to sit down, and he got on his knees picking out plates of food on plastic plates from under his bed, handing them to Smith.

"The doctors don't understand, they tell me to eat, so just hide the food, and throw it out the window sometimes." Joshua explained.

"The doctors could never understand."

Joshua looked up at Smith and smiled, handing him one last plate of food. He got up sitting next to him. Smith did not want to be rude, looking down at the food that had been offered him. He doesn't eat. Smith doesn't eat a lot. He didn't want to eat then, he wasn't hungry. But he took a red apple and started munching on it.

"So um…Jonathon?" Joshua asked.

"Smith."

"Oh…okay, Smith…why are you here? If it's not too personal question."

"…They say I am delusional with sometimes random aggressive behavior, and a severe case of amnesia. But of course these things are wrong. Delusions are not delusions, aggressive behavior is not so, it is an equal decision that is planned out."

"Amnesia?"

"Is true."

"What do you mean, aggressive behavior?"

Smith swallowed his apple.

"I share cells with an equal. We seem to be masters of fighting techniques, and when we wish to…blow some steam as he calls it, we fight. Punching, kicking, so on." Smith explained. "The attendants here have not grasped the idea that we are actually relieving ourselves of pain inflicting these fights on one another."

"Wow, that's…that's amazing. You remember like…Kung-fu…?"

Smith nodded.

"My nephew was taking Karate, but that was a while ago, I don't know if he ever got any good at it…"

Joshua smiled and looked to the ground with a rather sad expression even when smiling. Joshua soon looked back up as Smith ate what he could of the apple, and for a time it was silent. Smith knowing this might be awkward began to think of ways to engage conversation.

"And you, Mr. Daniels?" Smith asked.

"Josh."

"Mr. Daniels?"

Joshua smiled at Smith's refusal to call him by his first name, but he soon drifted away in a sense.

"I…I killed…I killed my wife."

And Smith's expression did not change, as if he was numbed to the loss of life. Joshua still tried to keep a trained smile, as he spoke, and his words became shaken.

"They say…they say I was backed into a corner. I needed a way out. I had just been fired from my job…she called it being 'freed,' 'unplugged,' in a sense. Now I could do anything I wanted…but I couldn't do that. I was still bound by what I only knew how to do, not what I wanted. Really I wanted to keep her safe, pay the bills, give her a life of comfort…We had such a lovely house too…"

Joshua's hands begin to shake, and Smith doesn't know it at the time, but so do his as well, and somewhere far off into the rest of the Asylum, where Neo cares to the mind of a young girl, his hands are shaking.

"She said she was going to take a job, but I didn't want her to. She became a nurse you see, it caused her to work really late in the day and she always came home so tired…I didn't want this for her. But no matter how hard I tried…I couldn't…I couldn't…there was nothing left soon…they tell me I just wanted a way out, so…so I made him…they keep telling me I made him…but I would never…I could never…they're wrong I know they are. I didn't make him up…he just found me, when I was weakest he took over me…"

Joshua looks up at Smith, smiling.

"I created another personality, another person within my mind. One more determined than myself, one willing to give up everything I had in order to achieve one goal, power…no matter how little power that was. I suppose she began to notice, I myself didn't, I had large black outs though…but she…I guess…she told him to stop it. Stop yelling at her, stop yelling at everything, stop getting so upset. They say that I told her that she was in my way…we were in the kitchen, or at least she was…setting up for her nursing the next day. I…he…I grabbed a knife…and I…he…no, no, I stabbed her in the chest…and she…she died. And I killed her…It wasn't long before the police came…and they found me with the knife on our counter, her blood on my hands…they tell me I was sitting next to her…just looking at her…shaking all over."

And Smith wondered why he wasn't really affected by any of that. He looked at Joshua Daniels, knowing he had killed someone, taken a life, this is bad, he knew it was bad. But it didn't seem to matter. He was not afraid of the truly sick minded fragile man he sat next to. He did not see the man has evil or sick. No. Joshua Daniels was just a man to Smith, a man who killed, but still just a man.

But he knew that wasn't how he should feel.

-------------------

The sun was coming up when Smith finally returned to his cell. It was difficult, and he would have to keep track of time better next time he told himself, the guards were switching shifts, and workers were starting to come. Neo was lying on his bed, his shoes still on. Smith assumed he was up waiting for him.

Smith lied in his bed, carefully hiding the key between the mattress and the bed frame. He looked up at the ceiling, the white ceiling, and just began thinking.

He was still numb, but now…now he was thinking of something besides this fact. He was thinking, and this made him believe that perhaps thinking would cure him of this numbness.

Joshua asked if he would come back, and prove that he was real, Smith said promised he would as soon as he could. Joshua Daniels, Schizophrenic, he killed his wife. Joshua Daniels reminded Smith of Smith. And this made Smith smile. Alone, numbed, isolated, defective, yes this indeed sounded a bit like him, if not less stable. Smith thought of him as a weaker reflection of himself, but perhaps that was harsh.

"Smith…" Neo whispered, his head still buried in his pillow, and some drool slipping down his mouth.

"…Yes, Mr. Anderson?" Smith whispered back.

"We need to do that again."

"Indeed."

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Next Chapter: Rain

I'm beginning to like Bane and the Merovingian more and more as I think of this story. It helps in a way that my English teacher is a really cute man from France with a heavy accent. I finally asked him if I could call him the Merovingian, he laughed and said sure. He and I had a chat about the sequels, he says the only thing good in Reloaded was the Merovingian, and he wanted ghost like henchmen.

I knew I had to make Armel in this story very insane, out of all of them he would be the maddest, but still be suave in that Merovingian way. I hope I succeeded in doing that. I took bits and pieces from the Merovingian and I suppose just exaggerated them to a maximum. The Angels and the Demons, how he relates to Neo, and of course the cheap, drugged wine.

Bane in the beginning was a given. From the start I knew Bane had to be in it as he is now. I did have some trouble on what Smith and he would say to each other, but I decided to make him a little weak. I am unsure how the real Bane acted in life, but I always thought that he must have been at a weak point in his life at the time Smith came to him, perhaps a stronger person could have rejected Smith, or at least not allowed him access to his body in reality. The whole Maggie Bane romance I absolutely love, I forget who wrote it, but there's a Maggie and Bane love story on this site that I just smile at.

Miho was a little difficult, knowing I needed to somehow connect the stories to the Animatrix or comics. At first I was thinking of Ash, the Detective in Detective's Story, but I didn't want him to suffer the same fate his predecessors did when looking for Trinity. Though it would have given to a nice little love triangle between him, Neo, and Michelle. But then again I just want it to be about Michelle and Neo, Neo and Trinity, it's only Neo and Trinity there was never someone else. I decided that perhaps the kids from Beyond would be suitable, since they were young, and out of them I chose Miho, one of the youngest, and I think cutest.

Oh and by the way, I forgot to add this but Michelle's brother, Colin is supposed to be Ghost, and in fact the actor who played Ghost is named Colin.

Anyway…

I added, "The Blood is the Life" in one of the quotes up there for my dear friend Renfield, another fandom of mine, he is the servant of Dracula, driven mad by his Master. Go rent the original 1931 Dracula; see Dwight Frye play the greatest Renfield ever.

I also bought a REAL straight jacket for Halloween, it arrived just today! It's a perfect fit, and I love it dearly! I'm crossed between writing "Renfield" or "Anderson, Thomas," on it.

Okay, now for the Spirals. Smith painted three spirals. They were simple, black and white paint used. I said they were near the end of the first Matrix. Smith has seen them before. Any guesses? Scroll down for answer, or guess again with now all the clues I'm willing to give you listed.

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The Bullet Paths: when Neo dodges the bullets and everything goes slo-mo when Agent Jones is firing at him. Since Agents also dodge bullets, and faster than Neo, I assume that is what they often see after being shot at so much.


	11. Rain

"What's that noise?"

"It started around five this morning…it hasn't stopped…"

Smith waited a moment, listening to the endless quiet noise, trying to figure out what was making it.

"What's that noise?" Smith asked again.

Smith was lying on his side, his back turned to Neo and the window. He was just waking up from sleep as he heard this noise. This noise that wouldn't stop, wouldn't falter. It was relentless, yet sounded gentle and soft. What was it? What could it be? This noise that he could hear just outside the window, little bangs hitting on the bulletproof glass.

"What's that noise?" Smith's voice rose with fear.

Neo smiled for a moment without saying anything.

"I don't think it's ever going to stop." Neo said.

"What is it?"

"Turn around, Smith."

"No."

Neo smiled, kicking out his leg back and forth, for he was sitting on the flimsy desk, resting on his side looking out the window. He breathed out with his mouth, and watched as he spread a fog across the window. He pressed his finger across the fog, making a mark, he smiled and began to draw on the window itself.

"What is it!" Smith asked again.

"It's rain."

And there was a moment where it was silent, and all that was left was the rain. That rhythm it made, the constant noise that never faulted, never stopped, continue as it was, as it had always been. Rain, little drops of water produced from hydrogen and oxygen in the sky and clouds. Rain, real rain.

"It's like the sky is crying." Neo commented. "But that would be silly."

Crying?

Smith cautiously and slowly turns to his other side to face Neo and the window. Neo looks down at him from the table and smiles. Smith's mouth slightly opens as he strains his neck to look up at the window, with the faintest amount of light creeping onto his face, and he sees it. The rain, the rain splattering against the window again and again, the constant noise. Smith rises to his feet, joining Neo on the table, slowly and cautiously he looks and inspects the rain. He looks up and to the right and left, and slowly, very slowly he places the palm of his hand on the window.

Smith frowns for a moment, looking around his hand as it is pushed against the glass. There's a new expression on Smith's face, Neo hasn't had much pleasure of seeing. But Neo watches Smith, with that face, and smiles. It the face of utter amazement.

Smith smiles the most sincere smile he's ever had, and looks at Neo.

"It's cold." Smith says blissfully.

Neo nods.

"It's very cold." Smith adds.

Smith looks closer at the rain through the window, breathing through his mouth and discovering the fog on the window it makes. He backs his head away for a second to see the fog, then breathes on it again to make more.

"It's beautiful." Smith says.

"I thought you would like it." Neo said.

Neo watched him, and Neo smiled.

---------------

There wasn't much speaking on Smith's part throughout the morning. He was constantly looking up though, Neo held his wrist, guiding him a bit so he wouldn't run into anything. The rain seemed to have some kind of effect on everyone at the Asylum, mad and sane alike. Like a sixth sense that the animals sometimes have…

It was like there was a calmly blanket wrapped around them all, and in fact seemed to have put some to sleep. Madmen did not scream, the fidgeting rubbed their hands calmly, the cutters washed their wounds, and delusions did not come. Everyone seemed so quiet, as if they all wanted to hear the rain. Almost eerily quiet, maybe something was wrong, maybe this was the silence heard before the destruction. But such thoughts were quickly put away in the peace.

And at times the rain could be heard beating down the hardest on the rooftops.

Neo himself felt changed, he recognized it, and enjoyed it for the time. Everything seemed a bit clearer, easy to understand, his mind was clean, and he was somehow content all of the sudden. His face seemed happy without him even having to try to express any emotion, he would sit next to Smith, with a somehow new found intuition that told him, it is okay today, relax on this day, it is okay. So Neo did so, he rested his head on the wall as they sat and ate what breakfast they never eat, next to the window as Smith insisted so he could watch the rain.

It was a strange feeling for Neo, he wasn't sure if he liked it yet. But the strangest thing is, as soon as it began raining, Neo stopped dreaming those horrible dreams.

Neo was now the observer of Smith, their roles nearly switched as Smith grew with excitement and curiosity constantly staring out the rain. It was quite an enjoyable thing to see.

Somewhere far off and deep into the Asylum, even the criminals seemed to have been soothed by the rain, the crying and screaming had suddenly stopped to witness it. Armel sat in his cell, gulping down some wine, with a rather sad look on his face.

"What's wrong boss?" Enoch peaks out of his window.

"Yeah, come on, it's raining! Raining boss! When was the last time it rained!" Enosh says.

Armel sips his wine.

"It is too quiet, and there are no demons." Armel says. "Something is wrong."

"Aw boss, come on, no talk of demons today." Enoch said.

Armel stared out his window in a daze and hang over.

"They are planning something I know it…they've left to go seek something out. They're coming back greater than they left…God help me." Armel whispers.

And a rather pale man in the neighboring cell looks over at Armel, his mad king, and then the rain, and sighs. After all, it happened in the rain.

-----------------

"God it hasn't rained in so long." Aaron said walking through the halls.

"Seems like years, to me." Tank agreed.

"We've only had drizzled the last few seasons haven't we? Oh yes, I can't seem to recall rain like this. You can hear it on the rooftops."

"Reminds me of home."

"Oh, where'd you grow up?"

"Washington state. Rained there everyday of my life! And we had these giant slugs that would come out too! Banana slugs! They'd always come out, eat away and my mother's garden, she finally just would drown them in a big bucket, and I'd have to dump the little bastards out."

"…Ew."

"They were really big, hence their name, they were also yellow too."

"All right, I got you. Please, spare me."

"No! Everyone must suffer as I have suffered from this horrible creatures!" Tank laughed.

Neo overheard Aaron's little conversation with Tank as they passed by the halls. Smith was a few feet away looking out a window, and Neo followed them for a second.

"When has it last rained like this, Aaron?" Neo asked.

"Oh, hey there Neo! Haven't see you in a while." Aaron beamed.

"Hey I still want some of those lessons." Tank smiled.

Neo nodded, but was rather interested only in the answer.

"When did it last rain like this?" Neo repeated.

"Oh, um, a long time ago, Neo. Just like this one too. Probably years ago, we don't get a lot of rain in the city you know. But it'll probably only last a day, storms like these." Aaron said.

"Thank you, Aaron." Neo smiled, walking away.

Neo went towards Smith, tugging on his shoulder, and slightly pushing him over so he could stand next to him at the window.

"It hasn't rained like this in a long time." Neo says.

"I know." Smith replies in monotony.

"How?"

"I just…do."

"Oh…all right."

Neo just look onward at the rain, breathing fog onto the glass, being rather amused by it.

It was silent then, the calming quiet the rain took them over. Like it was whispering something to them, and they had to be very quiet in order to hear it. Smith just stared at the rain, almost fixed on it for some reason.

"I have to get out there, Mr. Anderson." Smith spoke softly.

"What?"

"The rain…I have to feel the rain."

"But they won't let us out on rainy days."

"I don't care." Smith said with some aggression. "I have to get out there."

"But…how?"

"It doesn't matter, Mr. Anderson. I just have to get out there."

Smith's voice was stuck in a monotony, Neo wasn't sure if it was Smith's own doing, or something that was taking hold of Smith, a fixation on the rain. Neo knew this would be a bad thing to do, they'd have to disobey some orders, not that they hadn't broken the rules before. Overall the regular Neo took over, and saw no reason to object, but only to carry out and do so, so that Smith may be pleased.

"Well, okay." Neo nodded, and started looking around.

Smith slowly rose his hand and pointed.

"Up there." He continued in his monotony.

And he pointed to a slightly opened window, opened to circulate the warmth the heaters were making. Too many bodies, too much heat, there needed to be something cold to balance it. Neo looked around, seeing Tank and Aaron leaving the room to where only the sane go, and he saw now cameras could really see that area. Smith still looked out his window, and Neo tugged him away from it. Neo walked Smith towards the open window which seemed roughly ten feet above the ground. Neo put Smith right below the window.

"How tall are you, Smith?"

Neo asked, putting his thumb up and closing one eye, as if he really could measure a foot by just sight. He really couldn't but felt this was the most logical way to figure something out, no matter what it was.

"We're the same height…." Smith looked up.

"We are?"

Smith nodded.

"You haven't noticed?" Smith asked.

Neo shook his head.

"We are both six foot, two inches." Smith sighed.

"Oh…well then okay!" Neo smiled. "You want to get outside, you get on my shoulders, and I'll push you out."

"You can jump that high?"

"Well…we'll see. You're the one that wants to go out anyway. I just hope you don't catch a cold, or something nasty like that."

Neo stopped himself before he went any further where he would've talked about a fake memory he had made up about his first cold and how he saw "NEO" spelled in his chicken soup his mom made him. But that was just pretend after all, only made for his own contentment, he shouldn't be spreading it around like lies, the sane will take it badly. He looked around for a moment, surveying the area as it were. All the sane were gone calmed and fooled by the rain, and all the insane were looking out windows. No one thought this would be a day for mischievous, and especially not from them. All the cameras looked away, and all eyes were gone. Neo simply bent down so his back was reachable, and looked up at Smith.

"Go ahead." Neo urged.

Smith narrowed his eyebrows, thinking about this for a moment. Not really in a mood to think he stepped on Neo's back and was lifted up to twice his height. He quickly grabbed the window, pushing himself through, and falling, landing straight onto the muddy ground.

He fell as if he were being born from the sky, as if he were a raindrop himself.

And Neo backed away from the window, looking around again, then running at it, only able to grab the sill with his fingers. He grind his teeth and rolled his eyes, climbing up the wall, and finally getting his torso through the narrow window, and before he could stop himself, Neo fell and landed on his head, rolling onto his back.

"Ow!" He yelled. "Ow, ow, ow, ow!" Neo kicked the ground. "Ow, Smith! Ow! …Smith?"

Neo looked up from the muddy ground but saw no Smith. He rose up to his feet, slipping on the ground, and saw him, just standing there, blending with the rain and rest of the world, like a lost puzzle piece that finally found it's place. He seemed home.

Neo smiled that child smile of his, and despite all the mud that was now clogging his shoes, and smearing his nice white Asylum clothes he started to run in the mud towards Smith. And there was something in the rain, they both could feel it. Something pushing them.

Neo slid as he stopped towards Smith and he laughed.

"This is great!" Neo yelled to the sky, spreading out his arms and looking up.

That is when the lightning began.

And something snaps.

There was something in the rain, and Neo seemed almost oblivious to it. But Smith was not. He could hear it. It was trying to tell him something, whispering in between its gasps. Smith just stood there, with his hands held out to feel as the rain fell to its end onto him. His mouth slightly hung open and he just stood absolutely still, allowing the rain to claim him as its own. Allowing him to be engulfed by it, to the point where he was soaking wet, and he could watch the water drip from his brow.

Something happened, Smith tells himself. There's something in the rain. Something that calls to him, a distant memory he wasn't aware of.

"It hasn't rained here in so long…" a voice echoes throughout his head.

Something happened here, in the rain. Something important.

Smith knows this, but he can't…grasp it. Something…happened. Something…happened, the rain. Something happened in the rain. And the rain, the memory, it's coming out, but it…he can't…get his head around it.

He just let's the rain engulf him, take him over, take him away from this horrible place. He just let's the rain take him over, let him become part it. Make the rain wash everything horrible away…

This is when an emotion is sparked, and a memory takes form.

Smith turns to Neo, as Neo smiles.

Smith punches him in the chest.

"Ow!" Neo yells backing up. "Ow! Ow! …Ow!"

Neo holds his chest, and bends down.

"Smith! Why did you do that! Ow! It really hurt!"

Smith stands frozen in the rain, and again the lightning sounds. Neo looks up at Smith, his arm still stretched out, and his hand still in a fist.

"My head, and my chest! Ow!" Neo says one more time. "Why'd you do that?" Neo asks, calming down.

"It…It feels familiar." Smith whispers.

"Familiar?"

Neo looks up, suddenly realizing he may be missing something. Something that he should be seeing, something familiar. He begins to look around in urgency but sees nothing that brings up any memory.

"I don't see anything!" Neo yells.

Smith was still frozen, with his fist still hanging in a punch, and he looked over at Neo.

No, of course you can't see it. Only I can see what is hidden in the rain. Only the rain will allow me it's knowledge, only I can learn how to be part of it, control it. No matter how hard you look, no matter how hard you try, you are not me.

You cannot see what I see.

Smith grabbed Neo by his hand, and raised it to his own chest.

You are not like me.

"Hit me here." Smith said.

"Smith…"

"Do it. Hit me as hard as you can."

Neo gave in and nodded, taking a step back, and throwing a punch right into Smith's chest. And Smith fell back onto his back, where immediately got up and looked at Neo. Neo didn't know if he had somehow done it wrong, with that look on Smith's face. But Smith just stood there.

The lightning came, and Smith punched Neo in the face.

Neo back flipped, finding this to be difficult not to slip, he decided not to do that again, rather just allow Smith to slip first, having to find his center of gravity. Smith took the offensive, charging Neo as he regained balance. Neo blocked another punch, twisting Smith's arms aside, and punching with his palm at the center of Smith's chest. Smith took a step back, and Neo charged. Smith slightly ducked, punching Neo in the ribs, and pushing him back. Neo dazed, Smith punched him with a right hook. Neo fell onto his back, quickly regaining himself, he kicked Smith in the knees. Smith feel forward onto Neo. Smith pushed down on Neo, and they slightly sunk in the mud. Neo head banged Smith, flipping him off, and rolling onto his side, spinning up.

The lightning flashed. They moved as fast as it did.

Smith was on his hands and knees, Neo came in for a kick, Smith grabbed his foot, flipping him back onto the ground. Smith quickly got up, with Neo close behind. Neo went in for a high kick, Smith blocked. Smith punched at him, Neo blocked, slicing a palm at Smith's neck. Smith blocked, grabbing his entire hand, and squeezing it. Neo gasped in a bit of surprise, but nonetheless managed with a kick to free himself.

And by then they were soaking wet, and covered in mud. Neo was dirtier, having his third dip in mud. The mud had somehow spread across his hair and cheek, but he still fought not even noticing.

"Yes…that's it…kill that god damn demon." Armel grinned.

Standing at the glass doors Armel had his hand placed on the glass, and a wine glass in the other hand. And he pressed his face close to it, and he could see two little white figures in the dark landscape, fighting. He held back laughing at it all. But Armel watched, and moved as he saw the punches were thrown.

"Kill the demon…take it from this world…protect me from it by Blacksmith! Behold, I have created the Smith that bloweth the coals in the fire, and that bringeth forth an instrument for his work; and I have created the waster to destroy."

Neo backed away for a moment, before lunging himself at Smith, it was really a foolish move that could have only worked to his greater advantage if he could fly, but perhaps in these moments he thought he could. They both fell once again into the mud. Smith finally got on top of Neo, pushing him into the mud, and holding him by the neck once again.

And the thoughts, "You aren't like me," lingered in the air.

The lightning flashed, and Smith still held Neo by the neck, with his arm raised for a punishing blow.

This is the part where time goes slow, and things become silent. There was only pure fear in Neo's eyes now, and pure hate in Smith's. Both looks would go unnoticed by each other.

But it was only because…there was something in the rain…

"Neo! Smith! Stop it!" Called a voice that boomed like Aaron's.

"What the hell do you think you guys are doing!" Called a voice like Tank's.

"Neo!" Called a woman Neo like to call Trinity.

Smith blinked and stared down at Neo, slowly lowering his fist. Neo looked up at Smith, blinking from all the raindrops collecting in his eyes, and he smiled. Smith pulled Neo closer to him.

"Don't let them take me from the rain." Smith told Neo.

"Like a game." Neo said, nodding.

Smith let Neo go, and Neo ran off, buying Smith an extra five minutes as part of the rain.

Some more time for Smith to be where he always wanted to be. Where Smith felt something, and no matter how cold the rain was, he felt warm.

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Neo was shaking from the cold, and his nose had grown red. He grew a bit paler, and sniffled, and coughed. The sane wrapped the two in heated blankets and towels, getting new clothes for them, and gave them warm soup. They sat next to each other in a cut off room, with the sane circled around.

Neo sneezed.

"It was totally worth it." Neo nudged Smith, and slowly Smith nodded.

"Now explain it again." Aaron said.

Tank, Trinity, and Aaron all stood in a circle around the two mad men.

"We just wanted to fight in the rain." Neo said happily. "That's all, nothing bad, honest, Morpheus, I mean Aaron! Sorry…"

"You know it's against the rules." Aaron said.

"Yeah…but…we saw something that was worth breaking the rules…It was our first rain…our first rain!"

"Well why did you run away?" Tank asked.

"Uh…Smith was chasing me?"

Smith said nothing.

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They said they'd keep an eye on them for a while, so they decided they shouldn't leave their cell that night. The rain continued throughout the night, and the mad men were quieted the entire time. Armel would bear witness to all these events, and like the suave Frenchman he is, he slicked back to his cell without much notice.

"Did you drive in the rain?" Neo asked.

Michelle, Trinity smiled.

"Yeah." She nodded.

"What's that like?"

"Like driving in the rain!"

"Wait. How do you drive?"

She laughs.

"Neo!" Trinity says.

"I'm serious!"

Smith watches them laugh.

Michelle, Trinity walked them back to their room, and she hasn't left. Neo wanted her to sit next to him and she did. Smith watches them from his bed, sitting on his bed, leaning on the wall, watching them. They smile at each other, happy eyes, and she continues to explain driving to Neo with the aid of a pillow as a steering wheel.

Neo holds the pillow in front of him, with a look of intense focus on what would be the road. Michelle, Trinity laughs for a moment, and then points to his feet.

"Okay, now, here are the pedals. There are two main ones. One for going, one for stopping." She explains.

"Okay." Neo nodded.

And pressed his foot down on what would be the gas pedal.

"No, no, no, you're flooring it. If you drive like that, you'll kill somebody!" Trinity laughs.

Neo like the madman he is, starts moving what is the steering wheel in all sorts of directions.

"Get out of the way, I don't know how to stop!" Neo yells at what would be pedestrians. "No, the other way, the other way!"

Trinity laughs, and Neo shoves the pillow towards her.

"I think you're going to have to drive." Neo says to her.

And Smith watches them. Smith turns his head towards the window, and watches it rain, draining out all the noise of laughter, so he can only hear the rain. He watches it now, knowing for a little while he was part of it. He was part of the rain, he was the tears the skies had cried. He was washing away the world into purity.

Him, not Neo, not anyone else. No one saw, what he saw. No one felt like he felt. He felt warmth, he felt goodness, he felt…divinity in the rain as it cleansed him of anything remotely vile. Whatever were sins were now washed away from the rain, and it bathed him in warmth. Rain was not water, but light, and for a time he was part of it.

Smith frowned at himself, stepping back from these thoughts and finding them to be slightly mad. But still, it was the truth.

What he felt, he is unsure of still. But…it was…heartwarming. Somewhere inside him, he knew he was happy because of the rain. There was something in it. Something that called to him. Something…he felt in the rain. He felt in the rain. He felt like this is where he was supposed to be. The rain…the rain made him happy, like Michelle made Neo happy.

The lightning struck and Smith twitched.

"Smith." Came a female voice.

Smith looked up to see Neo's Trinity approaching him. She bent down, and invited herself on his bed. She sat next to him, with a compassionate smile. Smith looked over at Neo, who had a worried look on his face. And he looked back at her in a rather panic, scooting away from her almost.

"I don't want you to be upset with me." Michelle, Trinity said.

"I'm not upset." Smith said defensively.

"Well…then I don't want you to not like me."

Smith looked over at Neo, who with his eyes urged him to listen to her. Smith looked back at Michelle, Trinity.

"So please, Smith…let me help you. Let me…get to know you." Michelle, Trinity smiled.

But it wasn't a happy smile, there was something alien in her new smile. Something…she was…she was forcing herself to smile at him. And it took a moment of silence for Smith to look at her and figure out what it was.

"You're afraid of me." Smith said.

"What?" She smiled that forced smile.

"You're afraid of me."

She forced a laugh.

"No I'm not." She smiled again.

Smith looked over at Neo, and Trinity leaned towards him.

"Yes you are. Ms. Michelle you are afraid of me." Smith said, crawling away from her.

She came closer, she reached towards him.

"Don't touch me!" Smith yelled.

Michelle, Trinity, immediately fell back, scooting down the bed, and away from him.

"Trinity." Neo called, reaching out his hand.

Michelle, Trinity walked back over to Neo.

"I better go, I'm sorry." Michelle, Trinity said looking at Neo.

And with that Michelle, Trinity walked out the door, locking it to where the sane only tread.

Smith stared out, nearly panting in panic in the corner of his bed. Neo looked over at Smith, and frowned.

"Why'd you do that!" Neo yelled at Smith. "She was only trying to help you!"

"Help me with what, Mr. Anderson! Help me with what!" Smith yelled back.

Neo looked away and bit his lip.

"She just doesn't want you to always be so angry." Neo whispered.

"I'm not angry, Mr. Anderson! I am sorry that I have a low tolerance for these people, but they're our keepers, and no matter how much she laughs with you, Mr. Anderson, she still sees you and below her! You're sick to her! Just like I'm sick! She wouldn't understand, our truth is their lie! She is bound like they all are, by what they are made to see and what they are told!" Smith yelled at him.

Neo shook his head.

"Mr. Anderson…" Smith began.

"No! Don't call me that! I know what it means, but I don't like it! My name is Neo, Smith! Neo!"

Smith stood up.

"I like these people Smith! They've done nothing to us, and yet you hate them!"

"I don't hate them!"

"You don't think you do, but you do! You resent them for something they haven't even done! Michelle has done nothing to us, but keep me company and given us pills! She just wanted to try and make you happy for once, and you rejected it!"

"They've done things to me! My resentment is not unjustified!"

"What have they done to you, Smith! What have they done to deserve your hate!" Neo yelled.

And then came something Neo was not used to seeing in Smith. Confusion. Smith's eyes slightly opened, and his mouth fell open, and he just stood there silent. He always had things together, he knew things and how they worked, but this…this question he seemed to come to no answer.

Neo saw that fear and confusion in Smith's eyes, and immediately stood up and put his hands on Smith's shoulders.

"I'm sorry!" Neo said. "I'm so sorry! I know it's harder for you, Smith! You didn't need to be yelled at! I'm sorry! I just…I just thought…It's only harder for you Smith because you just won't accept some things…if you…just…"

Smith returned to his emotionless stare, his backdoor to get out of these difficult situations, and Neo lowered his head, still grasping onto Smith. Smith removed Neo's hands, and laid down on his bed, his back towards Neo. Neo went to bed as well, laying there in guilt.

Smith laid in his bed, staring at his hand and the wall. He closed his eyes and whispered so quietly he could barely hear himself, and he knew Neo would never hear.

"Those people, out there, they are living happily. And that is what they have done to me. Lived happily, without me." Smith said.

He said it, no one heard but himself. But he knew he said it, he knew somewhere on that Earth, at some time, he had spoken it. He had told the world, perhaps the rain, what people have done to deserve his hate.

They smile, they laugh, all without even glancing at him. They live, they feel, they have enormous accomplishments, and great downfalls.

Those people, all of those people in the world, they have lived. They have lived happily, without even considering his existence. Happy people laugh and smile as they pass him by, taunting the joy he does not feel at him. Showing him something that he does not and doesn't know how to possess. Mocking him and his inability to feel this joy. Showing him how defective he really is.

The entire world is laughing at him.

And it was the rain that washed away these pains, and it was the rain that brought him happiness. But now as he drifts into a scheduled sleep, he can hear the rain die down, and with it what joy he could ever have gained.

But…Joshua Daniels was not happy…

If nothing else, at least Smith had Neo. No matter how apart they seemed to drift from each other, no matter how different they were, there was still a possession over each other, a constant respect and ownership. If nothing in this world, there was still Neo, who was happy, and was the only one to stay with him.

That night, to the beating of the dying rain, Smith and Neo dreamed.

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Next Chapter: Ask the Question

Sorry for the delay, everyone, I had midterms and a lot of homework lately. Along with my focus diverted to other projects.

Anyone catch the little Neo Trinity line from Revolutions?

I got the new video game, The Path of Neo, I recommend it for any fan into video games, I assure you this one does not disappoint like Enter the Matrix and the Matrix Online do. This one is the real deal, and besides, who doesn't want to be Neo? Even if you're a fan of Smith, you get to be is equal, you get to be the closest to Smith anyone ever gets, his opposite.

Next Chapter is going to be fun, I have already written it in my head. We'll be visiting the Library of the Asylum, where Neo finds a little book about Yin and Yang. Oh, and remember, there is no Spork.


	12. Ask the Question

There was an alien smell that drifted in the air, and fell upon Neo's face. It made him blink with life, and twitch his nose. It was then he began to look around, and realize that he was somewhere new. Not the Asylum, not the usual dream of death and destruction. This place was new, and peaceful. It was imagined was how people lived in the city. It was a small apartment building, and from what he could see the place had only a few rooms. He now sat at the old and busted up leather couch, in the living room where there was an old television set, and blocks and spoons all over the floor, like children had just left without cleaning up their mess.

Neo smiled at it all, before noticing his attire. He stood up, and stretched his arms out to see he was wearing a very long black cloak. He laughed as he twisted his body, and made the coat ends twist and whirl around.

"You can come in now, I'm all done." A voice came from a kitchen.

Neo looked around, to make sure he was the only one there, if this voice wasn't calling someone else, but then again this dream being his that would be silly. Neo pressed on, moving the bead made door, and stepping inside.

And there sat an elderly black woman, smoking a cigarette, with a smile and a look in her eyes that showed she contained knowledge beyond even her old age, and had reached a point of contentment people only reach when they've lived more than one lifetime. She smiled up at Neo, and her peaceful look made him smile back at her.

"Hi, my name's Neo." Neo said, with a little wave.

"I know that, Kid." She laughed.

She blew smoke from her cigarette, and it drifted towards Neo, he shook his head, and blew the smoke away, it smelled awful.

"Sorry, I'll quite next time around." The woman smiled, putting the cigarette out. "Come sit. I made cookies."

The woman pushed a bowl of cookies towards Neo.

"Oh, thank you." Neo grabbed one, and quickly began eating it.

And when the cookie was gone, Neo looked up at the old woman, and raised an eyebrow.

"Are you my grandma?" Neo asked.

The old woman began to laugh.

"Now honey, I know you're very dependent, but for God's shake you can answer that question on your own. Just look at my skin, now look at yours." The old woman laughs. "You're probably the palest white boy I've ever seen, and the bit of Asian in you doesn't help, does give you nice eyes though."

Neo didn't know weather to be offended or flattered.

"You could have adopted me." Neo argued, and the woman smiled.

"I suppose that's true, I could have."

"I've never dreamed of my family before, I was sort of hoping this would be my first time." Neo said.

"Ah, so you know you're dreaming, Kid? That's good, that's good." She nodded.

Then something finally got to Neo.

"Wait. I'm Asian? This explains the love of rice." Neo said.

The old Woman laughed again.

"The time has come, Kiddo."

"Why do you keep calling me kid?"

"Cause when you get to my age, you can call anyone Kid. Now, kid, listen. The time has come."

"For what?" Neo asked.

"For you to begin waking up again. It was hard the first time, I know. In fact it took years, didn't it? But this time around you got to do it faster. You have to wake up, Neo."

"Wake up from what?"

The Old Woman sighed, and shook her head.

"From yourself. You've dealt with these dreams before, that's good, think of it as practice. Now listen, I know you don't remember me, but I remember you greatly, Neo. I know you can do this. I can see it."

"You can see it?"

"I can see into the future, Kiddo."

"Like an Oracle?"

"And someday you will be able to see it as well. Just look at your name, Neo, if you stare at it long enough, you'll see something."

"The future?"

"You still think too small, like you used to, Neo. No, not just the future. You'll be able to see it, see everything. You've got the gift in you, Neo. It just needs to be woken up. Know thyself, Neo."

"I do know myself, my name is Neo."

"Ah, but you don't, do you know your past? Your future?"

Neo opened his mouth, ready to give out an excuse for not knowing, explaining that he had been trying for a very long time, and was beginning to make up stories for his past. But Neo quickly closed his mouth, knowing it wouldn't be a good enough answer. He didn't know what to say, usually he did, he just didn't say much because Smith was very good at talking, and didn't let Neo speak much. But this time, Neo had nothing to say. He couldn't get his head around it, this lady, she spoke in riddles and circles.

Neo shook his head.

"It is time Neo, to wake up once again." She said.

"Will it hurt?"

"It is worth the pain, I think."

Neo frowned.

"How do I wake up?"

"You ask the question."

"What question?"

"I can't stay any longer, Neo. I have to go, I'm sorry, Kiddo, all I bring is bad news sometimes…"

That is when the kitchen began to fade away into the dark, and the woman now had a worried look on her face, and she kept looking behind her as if something were about to grab her.

"No, you can't leave…" Neo said. "You haven't answered my question!"

"Some questions I cannot answer, Neo. Some you must answer on your own. This is my choice, Neo. I have to go. You have a choice too Neo. You may choose how you wake up from this dream, how you see the new world."

The walls were covered in black, and the woman now entirely looked behind her, moving around in her chair. Neo looked around fearful of this spreading dark, as it began to creep up his chair and onto the table. The cookie in his hand soon began to disappear and he dropped it onto the floor where it was lost forever.

"Wait, what about my friend, what about Smith!"

"As you awake so shall he, but to a different world."

"What do you mean?"

"His sight is not your sight, he shall remain blind." She said as the darkness spread around her face.

"How can I make him see!"

"You cannot."

"Of course I can! I have to! Oracle, grandma! Wait! Don't leave me!"

"Some things, Kiddo, some things just cannot change."

"He can change! He has a choice! I will give him one!"

By then she was now gone in the dark, and Neo stood there alone, looking around himself, and seeing nothing but the dark.

"Come back! Oracle!" Neo yelled.

Neo reached out his hand to where she once was, reaching in the blind dark. Black, black, black, black, the world was now black.

Then something grabbed Neo, and emerging from the darkness was an Agent. It pulled Neo closer, and grabbed his neck with the speed of lightning, and before Neo could stop him, he was squeezing his neck.

But in his moment of gasping for air, he tried to wake up, and stared at the horror. It was not an Agent who was choking him, but Smith.

-------------------

Smith was already awake, watching Neo sleep. He was sitting at the edge of Neo's bed, leaning on the wall, and looking straight forward. Neo was panting as he looked up to see Smith. Smith slowly turned towards him, with an expressionless face.

"You were talking in your sleep again." Smith said.

Neo nodded, and bit his lower lip, and it was silent.

"Come on." Smith rose to his feet.

"Where are you going?"

"We've lost sight of our main objective, allowing things to get in the way. Remember, why we are here. We are here to find ourselves, our past, our lives. We must go the Library. Research."

There was no urgency in his voice, no fear, or despair. It was just Smith's voice, stuck in this monotony of his. Neo looked up, almost fearfully up at Smith. Smith looked back wondering what was taking so long.

"We can get some food if you want." Smith says.

Was the fight over?

Wasn't Smith still angry with him?

He should be angry with him. Smith should be angry with Neo. Smith stared at Neo, with an empty expression, and empty eyes. No anger, no hate, no resentment, just blue eyes staring at him. But they were yelling at each other hours before. Neo made Smith feel something he never should feel. Neo hurt Smith, and now Smith…

Smith felt nothing.

"No…no, it's okay." Neo nodded, pushing his covers away, and grabbing his shoes.

Smith opened the door for Neo, and somehow seemed content.

"Oh, and bring your sketchbook."

-------------------

"It's nothing like I expected." Smith said.

Yes, there were books, books upon around eight shelves. But they were nothing complicated, few fantasy books, none could have been over two-hundred pages long. Some were overly simple, some were even children's books. Some were on random subjects like dieting. The Library itself was not kept, the books out of place and lying on the floor. There were only two other people there besides themselves. Smith stood in the entrance and analyzed the situation.

No, this would never do, insufficient data, need more input.

He wanted books, real books, books that would teach him about his own so called illness, the ways of amnesia, and dealing with the mad and sane. Perhaps something about personality disorders, something that would help them. Anything on dreams, anything at all that could help them…but standing there, Smith thought about it, and saw how foolish it was to believe there would actually be psychology books available for the psychotic.

Smith stood, disappointed, somewhat defeated. He felt that he had reached another end and he hadn't even begun. After all that has happened, what more could he do but try and find a way to leave this place. He could see it now, leaving the Asylum. He now had a strange hope that once he left these walls, somehow some humanity and memories of his life would be returned to him. That perhaps he was not broken or defective, but it was the Asylum itself doing this to him. The walls sucking out what happiness he might be feeling. What more could he hope for now, when he had felt so briefly, and returned into nothingness? What more could he hope for now, that everyone seemed so far away?

He needed this bit of hope, this idea that he would be happy as soon as he left these walls. It gave him some drive and purpose he needed. Neo used to provide this need. Neo would have the dreams, Smith would sort them out, that is how it was, and to a degree, still is. Neo would always ask if Smith had a plan yet to get out, and depended on him to free them. Now, Smith watched as Neo walked ahead of him, leaving him behind…Now, Neo is more distant, independent, no longer asking as many questions. He seems content with what freedom he has in this place. Smith understood to a point. Here they were safe, here Neo could have Trinity. But nonetheless when the time came to leave, Smith knew Neo would go…it's just now he wasn't in so much of a hurry.

Neo held his sketchbook close to him, with a pencil stuck between his ear. He drifted around the Library, looking up at the top shelves with books. Smith followed him.

"What are we looking for?" Neo asked.

"Anything to help us." Smith answered.

"…I had a dream last night Smith." Neo said.

"You always have dreams."

"I met someone new again…"

Smith didn't look at Neo, but began searching out what he could from the Library. Neo patiently followed him, continuing with his story.

"She knew me, and you." Neo continued. "And…she kept talking like she knew more than I did…and she told me that I have…we have to wake up. We have to…see things like they really are…and…she told me that I'd have to look at my name really hard."

Smith looked over at Neo.

"What was her name?" He asked.

"She didn't tell me. She can see the future though, like an Oracle."

Smith raised his eyebrows.

"Yeah I know, I don't know if I believe her either." Neo nodded. "She says I'll be able to see the future too."

Smith refrained from asking if he would obtain this ability.

Neo didn't know what to make of his dream, and he noted not to tell Smith he had attacked him. At the time he didn't think much of it, Smith always did that, and in a similar way too. Whenever they fight, it's what they do. Neo just couldn't shake the fact, Smith was wearing a suit.

Neo looked around, drifting away from Smith, looking at the books himself. Neo for a moment wondered if he remembered how to read, but remembering you spelled Neo, "N-E-O," he knew he could.

"S-M-I-T-H." Neo said to himself, assuring himself. "T-R-I-N-I-T-Y. M-O-R-P-H-E-U-S."

Neo smiled in self satisfaction, and realizing how interesting Morpheus' name was spelled. He continued on his little walk around the Library, turning his head to the side to read the book cover's titles. He realized that the biggest and fattest books were on the top shelf, and had to back up in order to read their titles. He didn't know what he'd like to read, or really the differences in genres yet. But he knew what he was sort of looking for.

Then something caught his eye.

A book that didn't immediately have a title, but a picture instead. A picture of black and white intertwining together. Separate, but one, in a circle they danced, and seemed to become a single whole. It was enough to make Neo smile and grab this book. "Yin and Yang" the title in golden letters said.

Neo smiled, and continued to walk around with now this book and his sketchbook. He reached the corner of the Library where there was a small window peeking out to the world, the view was abruptly stopped by the walls that surround the entire Asylum. Neo frowned at this and looked to his right. Where he saw Michael, and this made him smile. Michael seemed to be engulfed in a book he was reading, holding it in his lap and one hand. His other hand fidgeted, and his right leg was bouncing up and down, and even his head sort of shook. Neo seemed blind to these strange happenings as he went over to Michael on a seat, and sat down next to him.

"Hi, Kid!" Neo smiled.

"Neo!" Kid nearly jumped.

"Oh…sorry." Neo nodded.

"No, no…it's um…it – it's okay. Yeah, yeah, it's okay." Kid nodded many times.

Neo smiled, and peeked over towards Kid.

"What're you reading?" Neo asked.

Michael held up his book. It was one of the children's books, and it had a picture of a lovely young lady, sleeping soundly in a bed. It was titled "Sleeping Beauty."

"She's very pretty." Neo said.

"Yeah…yeah…mom, my mom she used to read this to me when I was little. Really little." Michael had a bittersweet smile.

"Your mom?" Neo asked with a smile. "What's she like?"

Neo remembered what he had said to the Oracle lady, saying how he wanted to dream of his family. He imagined his mother, and his father. He now wondered which one of his parents gave him his slanted brown eyes, and love of rice. He couldn't decide which of his made up parents to make Asian, and he imagined since he didn't look much Asian they didn't either. But Neo leaned in closely to Michael, wanting to know if his assumptions about a mother were correct. If his mother did tuck him in at night, and read him stories, and his dad would teach him how to play baseball or whatever dads taught their sons.

Michael frowned.

"Well…well…she's um…she's…she…" Michael trails off, looking at those expecting eyes of Neo's. "She used to read me stories…and pick me up from school…but…she made me cookies…and she helped me with homework…but…I didn't like…live – do what she wanted always…she…she didn't like me when I got sick…and she doesn't come visit me anymore…"

Neo's happy eyes were at that moment sad.

"Doctors call her, she calls doctors. She knows I'm getting better. Yeah…bet – better."

Neo frowned and for a moment didn't know what to do. But he reached over and placed his hand over Michael's shaking hand, and slowly does Michael stop shaking, and looks up at Neo.

"You don't have to run from me you know." Neo says softly. "She hasn't left you either, she's not running from you. She's just afraid for you, and she's too afraid to look you in the face now…after all this time. She still loves you. Mothers…all mothers love their sons." Neo smiled.

Michael smiled.

"Mr. Anderson." A towering voice pierced their silent moment.

"Smith!" Neo smiled. "Look, Michael's not running away!"

Smith stared rather menacingly at Michael, not really on purpose, this was just Smith's natural stare to other people. It made Michael shrink down a little, give a weak smile, and wave. Smith gave a respecting and somewhat mandatory nod to the boy.

"Come. We must go." Smith urged.

"Um…okay." Neo smiled. "See you around, Kid."

"Bye, Neo!" Michael waved.

---------------------

"That was a pathetic excuse for a Library." Smith grumbled.

"Yeah, but look what I found!" Neo said, shoving his book towards Smith.

"Yin and Yang? What is that?"

"I don't know, but see the picture, is neat!" Neo beamed.

They walked down the halls, towards one that would surely be empty. Where not even the sane often go. Where all art is sooner or later stored. A hallway where they may be viewed, where Neo's painting now hangs for the world to see. Neo frowns as he sees it from a distance. And he sort of looks away as they stand in front of it.

"Give me your sketchbook." Smith held out his hand. "Let us review our situation."

And reluctantly Neo did. He knew what was coming. The questions Smith would ask him about this painting and these drawings. This horrible moment in time, some place far away. This horrible, horrible place. This place where he hasn't dreamed of in days, and he is so grateful for that.

Smith flipped through the book, and finally opened it to a page where these so called Machines were drawn in full detail. Smith held it up comparing it to the painting, and Neo frowned looking away.

"This." Smith pointed at the drawing. "Are these?" Smith pointed at the swirling mass of metal around the burning city.

Neo after a moment, nodded.

"This was a war." Smith said. "The last battle?"

Neo nodded.

"Between these machines…" Smith pointed to the drawing. "And us?" Smith pointed to himself.

"I…I guess."

Neo stood at the floor, sort of swaying back and forth in nervousness.

"You know for sure it was a war?" Smith asked again with force.

"Yes! It was a war!"

Smith nodded and leaned in closer to the painting. He pointed at a particular section, where these so called squid-like machines were stabbing bodies of man in mid air. The bodies were falling to the ground, and pools of blood.

"I am almost completely sure it was these Machines at war with us. With mankind." Smith said.

Smith was to say the least, a bit skeptical about this idea. He had not dreamed these dreams, he did not recall such a battle. Smith remembered bits and pieces, but they had nothing to do with this "war." He had to listen to what he was saying after a while. A war between man and machine, machines not even invented or thought of yet. This indeed sounded mad. And he wasn't sure if he entirely believed it. But this was the only other lead they had. This painting, Neo's dreams.

"That sounds like every science fiction story ever made." Neo mumbled.

"What?"

"Man versus Machine…" Neo said, still swaying.

"But this is what you dream, correct?"

"Yes!"

"Do you believe this to be true, Mr. Anderson?"

Neo looked away.

"Do you!" Smith yelled.

"Yes! Yes, Smith. I believe that happened. I believe we were caught in a war with machines!"

"And the Matrix is a prison?"

"Yes!"

Smith looked up at the painting.

"If we are indeed still in the Matrix, I think it is safe to say, the Machines won the battle. Which also means that the Machines are the Matrix's creators. It is not just a dream, but another machine…that somehow connects everyone into one dream." Smith said, nodding as he said it.

And all Smith could think was, maybe he was insane.

"No one else knows about this battle. No one else dreams about it. So no one knows we are in a dream, a prison." Smith continued.

"What if people do know?" Neo said.

"What?"

"Maybe people…like us…do know. Maybe…they're…outside of it."

Smith stared at Neo.

"Do we agree a machine is connecting all of our minds?" Smith asked, and Neo nodded. "All right…" Smith nodded. "All right…we survived a war. Man lost to Machine. Meaning if Machine fought Man, they would need to be advance enough for AI, and going beyond the perimeters of programming."

Neo narrowed his eyes.

"What?" Neo asked.

"So outside of this dream, it is the future. They are keeping us in a past time, where machines are not developed. They are imprisoning us."

"Wait what?"

Smith was caught up with himself and what everything means, thinking with a logical mind, what this means, to what that means, to what that means, trying to find an end, a solution to it all, somehow find the answer they both want.

"But why not just kill all of humanity? Why not just end the war entirely by man's destruction? Why go through all this trouble to make this Matrix for billions and billions of minds?" Smith asked staring at the painting.

Neo decided he wasn't going to get many answers from Smith, as Smith was asking more and more questions than theorizing now. Neo frowned, turning his back to his painting and looking down at his book. His Yin and Yang book.

"What if they need us?" Neo asked. "That's why they're keeping us alive."

"But for what?" Smith asked.

"I…I don't know."

Smith bit his lower lip.

"If this is built by machines, it is a machine. A mechanical well for minds…" Smith drifted off. "Like…a computer."

"Computer?"

Smith nodded.

"My name is Smith. Your name is Neo. This is the Matrix. It is a prison, and our keepers are rebellious Machines, to which we lost a war to. They keep us alive, because they need us. We remember because we were outside of the Matrix. Some people don't remember because they were not? But maybe there are other people who are like us, who remember as well." Smith said, reviewing it all.

"But why would Agents lock us up here? I mean…they're human aren't they? Why work for the Machines?" Neo asked.

"The Machines are in control here, Mr. Anderson. I'm sure there is a lot Machines could offer and bribe humans for their service." Smith said. "But then again…that is an unsafe move. True human beings often give into bribary, but what does money mean, when it is the end of the world? Could a human live on in this world, knowing he is a mere prisoner? To keep his fellow man at bay, while he enjoys a fake life of luxary?"

"Smith…" Neo started. "If they're machines, and the Matrix is a machine, why couldn't they just build more machines to go into the Matrix and watch over the humans?"

"What do you mean?"

"What if the Agents are machines?"

---------------

Neo's head hurt. He didn't know if it was because it was difficult keeping up with Smith, or if he just hated the whole idea of being enslaved. Perhaps he was trying to make himself forget, or maybe the Machines on the outside were trying to make him forget! Neo frowned, knowing you were enslaved by machines gives you some paranoia. Neo shook his head as he followed Smith back to their cell, passing the cafeteria.

"Neo!" Michelle, Trinity waved. "Come, sit with us. Come on Smith!" Trinity smiled.

Sometimes the sane sat with the insane, at a table no one ever sat at. It has been dubbed the "Sane Table" like the "Sane doors" and "Sane pinball machine." Once something belongs to the sane the insane tend to just leave it alone.

Neo waved at Trinity, but looked back at Smith, who he knew would not site with them.

"Go ahead." Smith said. "I'm going back to our cell."

Neo bit his lip, but nodded, and sat next to Trinity with the others.

"Hey Neo!" Tank smiled.

"You seem busy today, Neo, haven't seen you." Morpheus, Aaron said.

"Yes, we've been very busy." Neo nodded.

"Doing what?" Trinity asked.

"Well…" Neo looked over at Michelle. "Remember how I believed in a Matrix?" Neo lied, trying to make himself sound saner. "Well, Smith and I were curious, and we started wondering what we thought it was. So we were looking at my painting, thinking it would help."

"Well did it?" She asked.

"Yeah, I've always wondered about that Matrix thingy." Tank said.

"Oh…yeah, it helped." Neo looked around. "It's like…it's like a computer. Yeah, a computer. You know…how you keep, like pictures and programs in a computer? Well…think of those programs as us."

"What do you mean?" She frowned.

"It's a place where we are kept in a dream world. That's the Matrix, a dream world for all of us to go to and never leave. Like…if this were the Matrix." Neo touched the table. "This table would not be here. You see it and feel it right? But it's not here, and you aren't here. That's the Matrix telling you, your brain what the table feels like. Like um…you know icons on a desktop? You know that's not really what it looks like to the computer, that icon is made up of ones and zeros, but in order to be seen by us, the computer makes a picture of it for us, that's what we are."

"Um…" Tank gave a puzzled look.

"Okay, okay." Neo picked up something from the table. "This spoon, here. There is no spoon."

"That's a spork." Trinity said.

"What's a spork?" Neo raised an eyebrow at it.

"It's like a spoon and fork combined." She said.

Neo stared at the spork, blinking at it for a moment.

"There is no spork."

--------------------

"So, Monsieur, what have you been up to today?"

Armel stood at the doorway to Smith's cell very casually, leaning on the wall, with a wine glass in his hand. Smith stopped, holding tightly to Neo's sketchbook that he had entrusted him in.

"You seem…busy." Armel smiled.

Smith said nothing, and walked towards his door.

"What is the Matrix, Monsieur?" Armel yelled.

Smith paused and looked up at Armel.

"I'm very curious on the subject…you used to scream it to me, I heard you back then…" Armel grinned.

"It's nothing you would at all care about." Smith said.

"Oh, on contrary, I am always looking to learn. So please, enlighten me on this so called Matrix."

Smith stared at him.

"It is a prison created by your demons, Armel!" Smith yelled, and made Armel jump back, by the mentioning of his demons. "And you're in it!" Smith yelled at him. "Your demons have locked us all up in it!"

Armel panted and grinded his teeth, and shook his head. He pointed at Smith.

"You speak lies, Monsieur Smith!" He said.

Smith grinned.

"If that is what you want to believe." Smith says, stepping into his room.

Armel runs and puts his foot in the door.

"By God's name tell me what it is! Tell me how I can get out of it! The demons Monsieur, like your pathetic Anderson! They are planning something! The tide is shifting, you must listen to me! Close this door, and you forsake any chance you have of salvation!"

"What on earth could you offer me, Armel?"

"Purpose!" Armel yelled.

Smith paused.

"What you offer you cannot give me. But it is something I do want." Smith finally said.

Ask the question, and they will answer. Ask either one of them, ask "What is the Matrix," and somehow they will answer you. Neo and Smith, keepers of a truth they still don't fully understand. They know a part of themselves now, a past they only know by descriptions, and horrible dreams. Knowledge that has now developed into a sense of paranoia.

But this will not falter them, this will not stop them. Smith, who feels nothing, reviews again and again what they just learned. This place is not real. Some people may not be real. What he sees is not real, what he feels is not real. The world is nothing. He is somewhere else. This isn't real, Smith tells himself again and again and again and again.

None of this is real.

He wonders if he really understands that, if somehow if he really did understand this something would happen. Somehow he'd wake up or something, or whatever happens to get out of this place. None of this is real. Ask them the questions, ask the question, and he will answer, they both will answer.

Neo would not return for another hour, and Smith would open up his sketchbook to see what Neo drew all the time. There were drawings of Trinity, Michelle as well, and Morpheus standing tall. There were drawings of a city in ruins, and lightning in the sky. There were those Squid monsters and rain. There were drawings of people Smith did not recognize. However, there were no drawings of Smith himself.

Later that night, Smith would take out their little Master key, and they would go their separate ways. Neo clutching his books would go to a girl name Miho, and Smith to a man named Joshua Daniels. Neither would ask where the other is going or went. And they would return just as the sun was rising.

Who am I?

What have I done?

What am I becoming?

What is my purpose?

What is the Matrix?

-----------------

Next Chapter: Opposite Ways

I apologize this chapter is mostly dialogue, and not many character revelations as I usually like to have within each chapter. But hey, they know it's a computer!

Next chapter will have some lovely conversations, as well as questions about how to do the Robot, and realizing what Yin and Yang is. It will indeed be fun to write, I hope to read as well.

Tomorrow my friends and I will begin a little Matrix fanfilm, it will be mostly fighting, with a hint of Smith love. My lovely friend Brandi, or ADD, will be the protagonist, who says "I think Agents are cute…" And my even lovelier friend Matt, will be a most handsome Smith. It's not much, and it won't be oscar-worthy, but really an exercise and some film to allow me to figure out how to use Adobe Premiere. Wish me luck guys, I'll be thinking of you!

Please R/R


	13. Opposite Ways

"My name is Neo, I must see what can't be seen, I must know what can't be known. I am a survivor of an unknown war. My only companion a man with no first name." Neo told himself.

That' s all very poetic he thought to himself. What a life he's living, he went to further think. He wonders how sane and normal people live their lives. A life where they wake up each and every day in a home, in the city, kids go to school, adults go to work. Work? Well he thought about it, and work didn't sound very nice or fun. If he ever got out of this Asylum he would not work! No, he'd make Smith work and get all the money! Yes, Smith seemed like the working type, he likes to do things, get them done and such. Wait, what was he saying? Once they get out of the Asylum they'll leave the Matrix!

He wonders what it must be like outside this Matrix. With those machine squids… They must be everywhere…the entire world is metal. How will they survive? Neo stops dead in his tracks.

What is he supposed to do? An entire world of machines…What's he going to do?

Reality just set in, and he became very afraid. But in the words of Smith, baby steps. Neo still frowned. One step at a time, Neo, one step at a time. Leave the Asylum, leave the Matrix, go on from there. Yeah, that'll work. It's okay, you're Neo! You'll be fine! Neo smiled once again.

Neo didn't really like Miho's hallway, for the people yelled at him in his head. They yelled in anguish and pain, Neo only imagined existed outside the dream world. They screamed in ways that sent shivers down his spine, awakening something primal in him. Something that arose an instinct to run, run away from he pain.

But Miho needed him.

He walked down the many hallways at the dead of night, careful to avoid all the guards. He finally slid down Miho's hall and carefully jumped in front of her cell, a bit of a surprise. She sat in the center of her room and smiled.

"I'm sorry I didn't come sooner, Miho. It was kind of hard because the guards were keeping an eye on me." Neo says sitting by her through the bars.

"You snuck out in the rain." The not so little girl smiled. "Michael told me."

"Oh, you are friends with him?"

She took a moment to slowly nod.

"There aren't many…of us so young." Miho explained.

Neo smiled at her.

"Look what I got from the Library." Neo beamed.

Eager to share Neo held up his book, and gave it to her through the bars. Miho smiled at the book, instantly recognizing it.

"Yin and Yang!" She laughed.

"You know it?"

"Maybe it's a teenage thing." The girl said. "Yeah I do."

"Well what is it?" Neo pressed his face against the bars.

"It's kinda hard to explain."

"Please try."

Miho looked up, and even in her rather fragile mind, she knew this picture was wrong somehow. She saw Neo, with an eager face that seemed familiar. The intensity and curiosity of a child, like she once was in her haunted house where she flew. A face of innocence, with a mind young and fertile. But why was such a face on Neo? A man, grown and full, why was this curiosity in him?

Miho stared at him for a moment, but snapped out of it, giving him a weak smile. She tapped the book at the symbol of white and black.

"It's a philosophy that all things in the universe are equal." She said with her accent. "The white, balances the black, and together they create peace."

"So…a tree has an opposite to balance it?"

"Well…yeah I guess."

"But a tree is not Yin or Yang…"

"It's an analogy, a metaphor. Yin is the dark, and Yang is the light see? And um…without them there is chaos. Without the good in things, or the bad in things there is nothing."

"But wouldn't it be better if there was no bad?"

Wouldn't the world be better if there was only a Messiah without an antichrist?

"Well um…no…you see…" Miho tried to explain. "How…how would you know what is good, without knowing bad?"

Neo lied back, having to think for a moment what Miho had just said.

"How can there be such a thing as good, if there was never any bad? How can we know what day is, when there would never be night?" She went on.

"How can we know love, without knowing hate?" Neo asked.

"Yeah! Yin and Yang…they need each other to exist. Even though good may not like bad, they need each other. Yin and Yang represent all things, it shows that bad things must happen so that we appreciate the good things."

Neo's face turned to complete astonishment and awe. The rather happy Neo had never imagined that world actually needed the bad things in the world. All the hurt he hears in those halls, all the pain. Pain is there so that they know pleasure. Pain is Yin. Joy is Yang. All the hurt he can imagine outside the Asylum's white walls. The pain outside the walls of this dream world, where demons take the form of machines.

He looked down towards the halls, where men called his name in desperation.

And Miho stared at this face, and watched as he turned his head, where the child in Neo was lost. He looked in all seriousness down the hall, a Neo she didn't know existed until that moment. She had seen that face before…she made it every time she unleashed her flames. She stared at death and destruction that she could not stop, but only create. Neo…Neo was looking off towards death.

"Then again…bad is only a perception." Miho whispered. "Yin is bad, but it must think Yang is bad…"

Neo slowly turned to her.

"Maybe neither of them are bad at all." He said, lying his face on her bars. "Maybe they're just different."

----------------

Another apple courtesy of Mr. Joshua Daniels, Smith held it and rolled it within his hand.

"You are real!" Joshua yelled.

"I apologize for not coming sooner, as the security around me has…tightened up."

"Yeah that first day, I was just like, 'no! Another delusion!' but look you're here! You're here in front of me, real as can be!"

"Indeed."

Joshua slapped his leg, sitting on the bed, as Smith sat at the foot of the bed.

"So what's new?" Joshua Daniels asked.

"The rain."

"You like it? Me too."

Joshua Daniels. A truly insane man, now one of Smith's rather secret companions. Joshua Daniels, murderer, broken, too broken to go to jail. Joshua Daniels a man within a dream world he has no idea about. Smith looked upon Mr. Daniels, wondering, mentally asking if such ignorance was truly bliss.

"What's wrong? You're rather quiet." Said Joshua.

Joshua Daniels, a break from the usual. A face that was not Neo's, a voice that was Neo's. A man who was not Neo, but another person, another with different ideas, opinions, and ignorances.

Joshua Daniels, one breathe of fresh air.

"Many things have happened to me, Mr. Daniels."

"What sort of things?"

"Things I rather not burden your already burdened mind with."

Joshua Daniels frowns.

"Well I have nothing new to talk about. Stuck in here all day and night." Joshua says.

"How long have you been here?" Smith asks.

"Few years…Don't really know. It's hard keeping track of time as you can imagine for me."

"I've been here for five years."

Joshua Daniels, an insane man, who was once sane.

"You were in the outsides weren't you?" Smith asks. "You can remember being out of the asylum right?"

Joshua nods as if its not big deal.

"Tell me…about it out there."

"What you don't know?"

Smith shakes his head.

"Oh Amnesia right, I'm sorry, I didn't know it was that…bad. I mean…I've heard some other guys with it…but they still know what it's like…" Joshua stopped himself.

The outside world was alien to Neo and Smith. There was an idea, a concept of it, a picture in their heads much like Neo's little painting. Yes, it was but a picture to them. A compilation of bits and pieces of soaked up information from their surroundings. Bits and pieces of what any human should know remain. But still, how did a city work? What did people do in it? What were such tall buildings for?

Joshua Daniels realized the importance of such a question, and straightened himself.

"Well…" he began to say. "You have a job, that's how you get your money. Because it all works on money, money pays for everything you need, food, water, light, everything. A job is something you do everyday for someone else, and you have to be good at it. A job takes up most of your day, and people have these jobs everyone. All the stores, and all the restaurants, all the buildings, all full of people working on these jobs. When you have free time to yourself…usually you socialize with other people at restaurants, or parks, or you know clubs…you date them, get to know them, and you know."

"I see…why are resources simply not given out?"

"There's not enough money! And why would people work for nothing in return?"

"If resources were given out freely, there would be no need to work."

"Yeah but…but who will get all the resources?"

Smith stopped and considered for a moment.

"What if people were made to work, while resources were still given out freely?" Smith said coldly.

Joshua Daniels laughs.

"You're talking about something that sounds like slavery!" Joshua laughs.

"Slavery?"

"Yeah you know, back in the old day white people owned black people."

"Ah, the ethnicity difference and spoken superiority." Smith nods.

"Yeah."

"I see flaws in this society I know nothing about." Smith says.

"There's always flaws, man isn't perfect. And men in power don't really seem to want to better the world."

"Better it how?"

"You know, correct those flaws. Make everything free, and have people work you know…just cause they want to help everyone else. Like something out of Star Trek."

"Star Trek?"

"Never mind, some show I used to watch."

"Why don't people just threaten other people into working?" Smith asked. "If I am stronger than someone else, can I not simply make them work for me, and spare them?"

"Smith!" Joshua exclaims. "You talking like men are not equal."

"Are they?"

"Of course they are! All men are created equal."

"Ah, I see…"

"People, Smith, they're equal, other people are not dogs, they're not animals. They can't be treated like they are. That only causes problems, lots of problems. And it's taken hundreds and thousands of years of war to finally get to this point, and even now it's not perfect."

"Why not?"

"People aren't perfect, how can they create a perfect society? See…I don't know… Maybe people can never be perfect. If everything was perfect we'd all go insane right? Wow, sounds weird coming from me huh?"

"You don't want things to be perfect?"

"I don't think after millions of years of evolution and chaos, I don't think mankind could stand perfection if he were ever to achieve it."

"Hm…" Smith thought.

Joshua Daniels, a well of information that most people were unwillingly to give men like Neo and Smith. Joshua Daniels, willing to give such information and opinion on the world that is now taking a concrete shape within Smith's mind as a rather chaotic place, where one is ruled by the fearing obsession of having no money, and thus no resources to live, nothing to contribute to society, and inevitably below society, as seen as a failure in society.

Smith was beginning to see that man labeled himself non-disposable, even if there were 6 billion other humans living in the world, losing one is easily replaced, and is in fact when natural or unnatural death comes. As humans die, more and more are born. All humans were easily replaced, yet Smith understood the longing not to be replaced. He had witnessed himself feeling such threat whenever Neo's Trinity, Michelle loomed near. He understood it, noted it, and was still somehow confused by it.

Then there was this theory of Joshua Daniels that brought up unknown deliberation. Why would a human not want perfection in his life? Is that not what humans constantly attempt to do throughout their life spans? To some how reach a success of perfection, when resources come with surplus, and there is enough time to do as they wish, and there is a constant joy in all. Man was not perfect, how could he create perfect? Well Smith disagreed with Joshua Daniels on this matter. Man's purpose like all biological creatures was to ensure the survival of his species by producing offspring, this often meant that the offspring of the parent would become somehow better, more adapted, smarter, more graceful, and so on. Wasn't it a matter of time before a man's offspring became perfect?

But then again, the definition of perfection was up for debate.

"Do you believe a new caste system is needed to achieve a perfection?" Smith asked.

"Caste system?"

"If people were…designed in a way to be best at one particular thing. Thus they would have no other choice, money would not be necessary to give motif, and resources are able to be given out." Smith explained. "If people had a specific purpose in the world."

"Smith…" Joshua shook his head. "You're demeaning the importance of an individual. You're taking away freedom. How can perfection be met without freedom?"

"Freedom is necessary then?"

"Freedom is one of the most important things in this world."

Freedom.

"Free time, as you said, seems minimal, if all the man is occupied trying to make money for resources." Smith said.

"Well…it's rare sometimes yeah."

"What happens in free time?"

"Oh it depends on what you want to do."

"What do you want to do?"

Joshua laughs.

"I can't tell you what you want to do, that's your choice!"

"Ah, so there are no restrictions on that matter, but there are when one is working?" Smith asked.

"Well yeah I guess…So Smith…what would you do in your free time?"

And Smith thought for a moment.

"I would like to find some associates of mine." Smith answered.

----------------------

"You're gonna become a robot?" Neo asked.

"No, it's just called the robot, it's a dance move." Miho smiles.

"Robots dance?"

"I don't know, but there's a dance called the robot."

Miho was standing now, as was Neo, towering over the small child. Through the bars Neo watched her, as she held out her arms straight out, and bent her elbows down.

"It's old from the seventies." She said.

"Why do people have dance moves?" Neo asked.

"To look fancy at clubs, and get girls!" Miho laughed. "Okay, anyway, I did this back home sometimes. You make a smooth small movement, then stop, and do another, and it makes you look like you're a robot running on gears and stuff! See the arms move up like this, and you twist…like this!"

And indeed Miho did her dance, and she did look like a robot. Neo was struck back.

"Whoa." Neo muttered.

"Yeah, it's cool. Now you try."

Neo held up his arms as such.

"No, sort of like…um…" Miho started.

Neo could not dance like a robot.

----------------------------

"So you have friends out there in the world?" Joshua asked.

"I suppose so…" Smith said. "Honestly I am not so sure."

"Me too. Hey but that Neo guy, he's your friend right."

"I suppose."

Neo was all he had. Neo who yelled at him, and was different from him. Neo who despite all they had been through together just didn't understand Smith. Neo, whom Smith envied for many reasons, his dreams, his words, his ideas, his sear ignorance most of all. Smith, who grew farther and farther away from Neo without trying to. Smith, who wanted Neo back to the way it was before. Before Trinity, before this all. Where there was one, and many questions.

Neo, who was his friend nonetheless and despite all.

Neo, who was his only companion in this seemingly one sided war where Machine masters have won.

"I like his name. Neo, New, it's cool. Where'd he get it?"

"I don't know."

"If you could change your name what would you change it to?" Joshua Daniels asks.

Joshua Daniels was asking from Smith something he hadn't really exercised yet, imagination.

"I don't know." Smith said. "I like my name."

"You like Smith? No offence, but it's like the most common name in the world. There's no individuality in it. No spark, come on you can come up with something better."

"I like it." Smith repeated.

"Well, I'd change mine, Josh always struck me as a little kid's name."

"To what would you change it to?"

Joshua bit his lower lip.

"I don't know, that's hard." Josh said.

--------------------

"They're called the Beatles." Miho explained. "They were bigger than Jesus."

"Whose Jesus?"

"…Just some guy, but he was big, so the Beatles were really big."

"Oh okay."

"You say yes, I say no,  
You say stop, I say go, go, go.  
Oh no.  
You say goodbye and I say hello, hello, hello.  
I don't know why you say goodbye I say hello, hello, hello.  
I don't why you say goodbye I say hello.  
I say high, you say low.  
You say why and I say I don't know.  
Oh no." Miho sang.

Neo smiled, it sounded familiar.

----------------------

Joshua Daniels, a number that totals in 6 billion. One human, a rather sick human in his mind. Joshua Daniels, who feels pain but does not scream it out. A man who is sane but insane. Joshua Daniels one who answers Smith's many questions.

"You'll come back won't you?" Joshua Daniels asked.

"Of course, Mr. Daniels. I find you extremely intriguing."

"Well…I find you very intriguing too Smith."

Joshua Daniels, a slave who believes he has freedom, a slave to machine overlords who are outside this dream world. Joshua Daniels, in pain, but unknowingly in bliss. Joshua Daniels, a man Smith rather envied.

Smith enjoyed the conversation, he truly did. He was beginning to understand why Neo was so social at times, people, certain people were interesting to speak to. Although in their entire time there at the Asylum, Smith had only found one person to speak to, and Neo found an apparent abundance.

Smith now had a rather clearer picture about the world he would most likely, and very anxiously, would find himself in. The outside, it was after all only inevitable until such a freedom would be reached.

Smith said goodbye, and left.

And the man inside Joshua Daniels, longed for his return, so that he may consume him. Joshua Daniels shook the thought away, making the man inside him go away. But what was inside longed for Smith, wanted Smith just like Joshua did. Joshua shook his head and drowned himself in his pillow. Only a few more hours, and he would have some pills, and these thoughts that were not his would go away.

--------------------

The Next Morning…

The doctors, with eyes that shine from the reflections of their glasses, with bodies that seem to form to one. Voices that scream random thoughts that could be from one mind. The doctors, head of the Asylum, and yet seemingly unseen for most of the time. The doctors have called most of the staff in for this morning before pill giving.

The doctors have something special they must bring up immediately.

"Thomas A. Anderson. Jonathon Smith." One says.

"It seems that they have been rather mischievous lately, they make quite an excellent pair." Another adds.

"Extremely well coordinated considering their presence situation and mindset."

"They've been residents here for over five years, and have yet made much progress, but have merely flaunted around exposing our weaknesses."

"We believe a deeper examination of these two are needed."

The doctors said to the staff, which included Michelle, Aaron, Tank, and Kali. In fact they were seated right in front of the doctors, as it had been noticed the so said Trinity and Morpheus were the ones Thomas A. Anderson and Jonathon Smith came into most contact with.

"Thomas A. Anderson, quite childish in behavior, exhibiting over curiosity, and simple thinking. Jonathon Smith, silent, sometimes unmoving, suffered from an epileptic attack recently, we didn't even know he had epilepsy!" The main doctor says in anger.

"Perhaps Anderson suffers from Huntington's disease, it does strike within his age group." A doctor said off to the side.

"What's Huntington's disease?" Trinity asked to Morpheus.

"It's this genetic thing, the victim suffers a total degeneration of the mind." Morpheus summarized.

"Impossible!" Said another doctor. "Huntington's disease causes uncontrollable jerking movements! And if it was the disease, Anderson's mind would have furthered suffered."

"He does suffer from memory loss."

"Not recent memory, only long term. And if he did have it, it would have gotten worse by now. He wouldn't be able to sing the ABCs, by now!"

The doctors recoil.

"What you speak of is a genetic disease, I believe it is nothing such, but a case of intense self inflicted delirium."

"Intense trauma would be needed for such a thing."

"We have no file on what caused Anderson to go insane, perhaps such trauma was presence."

"But what of Smith?" Another asked. "Isn't it odd the two of them seemingly suffer from the same incident, yet exhibit two completely different behavioral patterns?"

"Were they not there for the same traumatic incident?"

"They have to have been, both suffer from the same memory loss."

"They also know each other."

"What if they done, what if they only believe they know each other from previous history?"

"Another topic." Says the main doctor. "Do we seek out relatives? Do we seek out cures? Or do we simple keep them safely here with us?"

"They are to be studied, such a case like this has never happened. It is so odd, that neither of them suffer from anything genetic, they are strangers in all reality, and yet they have similar cases."

"If they had any relatives that cared for them, they would have found them by now."

Trinity, Michelle stared at the doctors intensely. She cared about those two, more than she did anyone else there. She felt guilty for such feelings, she was told to not get attached to any of the patients, or to favor some over others. Such feelings could case disruption within the wanted and ideal non-disruptive environment. But Neo, and Smith… it was a human thing, she told herself, to become attached, to long, and to love. She could not control these things. What did she care even? This wasn't the greatest job in the world. She didn't grow up dreaming to become a nurse at an insane asylum. Forget the rules. She cared about Neo. She cared about Smith.

"Nonetheless they are causing quite a problem together." the doctors say. "Perhaps it is time for separation at last."

"You can't do that!" Trinity, Michelle blurts out.

"Why not?"

"…" She stopped. "It would cause a shock, sir. They've been together for so long. They need each other."

"Ah yes, but they are causing trouble with each other. The point of letting them out was to ease them into being able to separate from each other. It was a healing step, this is the next one."

"They won't like it. It'll only cause more trouble." Michelle argues.

The doctors tilt their heads.

"There have been cases in which Smith has separated from Anderson due to your actions, is that not nurse?" a doctor asks.

"They are ready for the next step, perhaps then real progress can be made."

"But…" Michelle tried.

"They will be separated."

------------------------

Neo sat in the main hall with Smith, reading his Yin Yang Book. He felt uncomfortable, he had the entire morning, and that wasn't due to the fact he barely got any sleep. Something within him tugged at him, told him something was wrong. Neo looked to Smith.

"Hey," Neo began. "Who do you think we were in that war?" Neo asks.

"I suppose soldiers." Smith says calmly.

"Do you think we were important?" Neo asks.

"Few reach such importance in war, it is unlikely."

"Oh…"

Neo continued to read his book, then stopped once again.

"I flew in my dreams last night." Neo beamed. "It was amazing. I was wearing this coat thing, and it was being thrown throughout the hair, and whipped around, and, and, and! Well…it was really fun."

"You flew?"

"Yeah, like I was flying around this city, just…flying."

"That does indeed sound fun." Smith smiled weakly.

"And you know…" Neo began.

The bad feeling rushed throughout Neo's head into his stomach, and there was pain. The bad feeling, something's wrong Neo, something's wrong. Neo began looking around quickly in panic, searching for what was wrong.

But all there was, were Trinity, Morpheus, Tank, and all the other staff walking out of the doctors' office, and passing them by.

"I wonder what is happening." Smith said, rising to his feet.

"You know…" Neo whispered. "I flew in my dreams, and this is all a dream, I bet I could fly here too."

Smith too busy watching the staff walk by with grim expressions did not listen to Neo. And thus, no one heard.

----------------------

Next Chapter: Men Can Fly

Written pretty briefly, I apologize, I just wanted to get through this chapter to some more fun. Plus it's finals week people, I should be studying!

Please forgive, and enjoy.


	14. Men Can Fly

The very sky bowed to him then as he stood upon the streets. The world's strength yielded to his own. There was nothing that bounded him. There was nothing that he could not do. The world was tucked away safely within the palm of his hand, little force and he could have crushed it. The world was his, and he could feel the surge of power flow through him and out of him. Such power…he didn't know such power ever existed. Such warmth. What could have been love…

He looked down upon the world, and saw and felt its life. And then he looked up to the sky, which bowed its head to him, and picked him up.

The world was but one realm with its boundaries. But to him there were no such boundaries, no such restrictions. He went up into the realm of the sky, and he conquered it as well.

He flew with no wings in perfect and ominous freedom, which bathed him in life. Freedom, true and absolute, loving and giving, warming and protecting. The world around him screamed in the pain he was causing it. Agonizing screams came to him but all was somehow silent. The pain, the blood, the warm blood came again, and bathed him in its life.

The world below screamed in pain, and the sky bowed with thunder. He was above it all, better than it all, where no pain could reach him, no agony, no defeat. He was in the heavens, below was the world, and all it's flaws.

It was beginning to rain.

That's when Jonathon Smith woke up.

--------------------

The day had come sooner than expected, the sun shined into their room, causing Smith to be forced into the waking world. He awoke surprisingly to Neo, who was standing up in his socks, looking down at his book on the floor. Neo began to slowly move while keeping close watch of his book, he moved his arms in a fluid and slow motion.

"What are you doing?" Smith asked.

"It's called Tai Chi. It's in my book!"

"What does it do?"

"It's suppose…" Neo pushed the air. "To push away the bad," then he pulled in the air. "And bring in the good. I think I'm doing it right."

"All you're doing is waving your hands."

"No!" Neo snapped. "I am centralizing my inner power." He said with pride. "And I pushes that which is negative to welcome in the positive. It is a way of meditation, and I implore you to try it."

Smith took a moment to amuse Neo and sat silently as he observed. Smith did admit that Neo was waving his hands in a rather smooth and pleasing motion. He seemed to really be concentrating very hard, and actually trying to achieve something. Despite all this hard work Neo was simply standing in place and waving his arms around.

"No thank you." Smith concluded.

"Do you know anything about Dao…Ta- Taoism, Smith?" Neo asked.

"No."

"It's in my book too!" Neo took a different stance. "It's…this philosophy, but it's hard to explain. It's like…"

Neo looked out into the distance as he moved his hands.

"The Tao is the Way, it's everything, all the good things, all the bad things. Tao is everything, and nothing. Because…it can't be described in words. What I'm telling you, it's not Tao."

"So does that mean what you're saying is Tao, because what you just said means that it isn't true?"

"No! I mean…well, I can't tell you what the Tao is, it just is. It can only be experienced. It's life you know? It's life, and light, and love, and all that stuff."

"Interesting."

"In my opinion you'd be a Confucianism, they liked rules."

Smith gave a small hum to show he was listening, if not only a little interested. Neo continued with his waving hands, this tai chi. Neo bit his lower lip trying to focus on his movements, trying to feel if he really was working a force from within him. All because he didn't want to face Smith. Face him with a truth he's been fearing through a world of dreams. Neo wondered if he could force the knowledge he held out of him. He wondered if he could just push the negative out of him with Tai Chi. He wondered and wondered and somewhat wished he could just push his dreams right out of his head.

But Neo has come to see that he is Neo, the keeper of burdening dreams.

"Smith…I had a dream." Neo pushed his hands and negativity out.

"Me too…" Smith whispered, rubbing his head.

"What?"

"Nothing."

Neo pulled in the good things in the world to him, and into him.

"I was afraid this time." Neo said. "There was no war, there was no blood or screaming, but I was still afraid."

Smith lays back, tired from sneaking around last night. He wanted to sleep again, just another few hours, that's all he needed. He was a battery he needed to recharge. He laid down, covering his eyes with his arm, and allowed the darkness to take hold of his vision. Neo stopped for a moment and looked at him.

"Something's wrong, Smith. I'm sorry."

"What?" Smith looked up.

"Something's wrong. I'm so sorry."

Neo had taken a seriousness to his face, it was stern and he was really trying to get a point across to Smith. For once, Neo held no smile or frown, his face was focused, emotionless, even cold. He stared at Smith, without words trying to say this was important.

"What are you talking about?"

"I dreamt it, I'm so sorry."

He just wanted to push away the bad, to remain only pure and good. To be free of these dreams of burden, free from the haunting blood cries. He wanted to be free from the plugs that pierced his skin and bound him to the ground. Push out all that was bad, and bring in only the good. All the hurt, leaving only joy. All the despair, to leave only love. It wasn't working.

"I got in a fight with her." Neo said.

"With who?"

"The Oracle in my dreams. We had a fight."

Smith sat up, tilting his head.

"Fight about what?" Smith asked.

Out with the bad, in with the good. Good cannot exist without bad, and bad cannot exist without good. They hate each other, and yet they need each other. Neo was out to prove this philosophy wrong. He would be good, he would only be good, somehow, some way he'd remain only pure and perfect. He would be the Tao, the Life, the Way, whatever one wanted to call it. He just wanted to be rid of all these things, all these emotions that stilled him to the ground.

He thought that he could simply fly away from them.

"She was talking about you. I didn't like it…" Neo said.

"What did she say?"

"I didn't like it."

"What was it, Mr. Anderson?"

Neo shook his head.

"What was it?"

Neo completely stopped and went over to the window. He could hear the chirping of the birds as he pressed his head against the window, and the dulled out noises of the rest of the world through it. This way it seemed like the world was far away, and he was trapped…somehow trapped away from it.

"There is no choice for him." Neo said, quoting his Oracle. "There is no choice because he chooses that there be no choice. He cannot see, for he believes there is nothing to see. He cannot know, for he believes he knows everything. He does not believe, because there is nothing to believe for him."

Smith's anger faded.

"Because of these things, he cannot change, trapped within his own boundaries within boundaries. Where you lead he cannot follow. Where you preach he cannot hear. Your strength cannot be given to him, your love cannot be felt by him." Neo looked at Smith. "She said…something was going to happen, and it has to happen, not even I can stop it…She said…that I have to go on, but I didn't want to. I told her she didn't know you, like I knew you, but she said knowing me, she knew you, and I said that didn't make any god damn sense…"

Neo, not one to bring bad news forced himself to smile and give a weak laugh. He squinted his eyes bowing his head to Smith, who remained unmoving, frozen in these moments where words were said that he knew he had to hear.

"I started to yell at her Smith, she didn't know anything, I told her. But…she said you wouldn't be able…to like…I don't know, adapt to what was about to happen…and I told her you were strong, stronger than me and you could handle anything. It was I who needed you, you don't need me."

Smith shakes his head in disagreement, but is unable to speak. If he speaks the words will stop coming, and he won't hear them, and all will be lost.

"But she said…she said that I only needed you because I chose that I needed you. It's all about choice, Smith, this whole thing, how we choose to live, and think."

"Choice is an illusion!" Smith screamed, quickly covering his mouth.

"And…she told me, I needed to stop yelling, I needed to understand, to get a grip on myself, this was the way it had to be, it couldn't be changed, one cannot make white black or black white she told me…I told her not to simplify us into mere colors, there is gray between white and black isn't there? But she said things like this needed to be simplified… You cannot change, and I asked her why, why couldn't we change?"

Neo stopped.

"I need to tell you something, Smith, and you can hit me afterwards if you want, because…because I know you won't like it."

"What is it, Neo?"

Neo bit his lip.

"WHAT IS IT?"

"It is his purpose that he cannot change." Neo quoted his Oracle. "The human mind can adapt, it can be twisted and formed into something new, you can change Neo, but he cannot. Why I asked her. He has no flesh, he has no blood, he cannot change, it isn't within him to change, his creators never meant him for such a thing."

The words were daggers that Hamlet had once promised not to use. The words flew just the way Neo could not, and they grabbed onto him, and started suffocating him. The words, screaming inside his head until he could no longer hear. Stuffing themselves down his throat until he could no longer speak. Infesting his lungs until he could no longer breath. Daggers flew, and they pierced his flesh that they said was not there. They stabbed him, and stabbed him, and finally he realized what they meant, but denied that he did.

That is around the time, Smith punched Neo in the stomach, and Neo fell off the table, and Smith carried him over to his bed.

He has no flesh, he has no blood. There is no flesh, there is no blood. Then what was his face? What were his hands? What was filling the veins beneath the flesh of his arms? What did his heart pump if there was no blood?

Neo laid on the floor, clutching his stomach, and Smith sat down on his bed. Smith said nothing to Neo as he crept over into the corner of his bed, and put his face in his knees.

"What are you saying, Mr. Anderson?"

"She's saying it…" Neo gasped between the pains.

"Your Oracle is but an illusion, a hiccup from your subconscious from our past. She is but a memory personified. Her words are your words. What are you trying to say, what are you telling me, Neo? Neo with all your memories, what are you saying?" Smith asked.

"It's not me!" Neo yelled. "It's not me! It's not me! It's her, Smith! I wouldn't say those things! I wouldn't! I wouldn't!"

Smith stayed silent.

"I have flesh…I have blood. I have a mind. I can change." Smith looked upon his hands, and touched his face. "I'm real, I'm real, I'm real, I'm real, I'm real, I'm real."

"Smith…she's lying, she has to be! She has to be lying Smith!"

"I'M REAL!"

Smith stood up, and kicked the curled up Neo in the chest. Neo bit his tongue and took it, as Smith kicked him again and again and again. Anger manifested, panic and fear claimed him. This accusations, why was it always Neo making the accusations? Wasn't there anything wrong with him? Why doesn't he accuse himself? Is he not flawed? Why was it always Smith? Why was there always something wrong with Smith?

Why wouldn't Neo ever answer?

--------------------

There was screaming coming from their cell. Screaming as if it were months ago, as if they were back in their straight jackets, screaming for anyone willing to listen. Singing a song that only the mad ever bothered to hear, and not even they could truly decipher it. Familiar words put in a jumbled up sentence. What was the Matrix, they called, but never told. Guards came with straight jackets and sedatives in their hands, opening their door only to find them resting on their opposite beds.

Neo was however shaking, and had bruises on his sides.

It was decided that there had been a violent act, as if they were their old selves again, though they both denied it.

Sedatives were given. Smith who once again put little resistance laid down on his bed, and didn't move as they lifted him and stuck a pill down his throat. He swallowed it with no regret, longing for it to give its affects on him, he needed them this time, he needed them this time, he wanted them this time, of all times he knew the drugs of a clouded mind would help him just this once, that's all just this once. But Neo put them in his mouth and when the guards left, spitted them out, hiding them in his pocket.

Neo could not be the victim of pills, no not today, not tonight, not ever again.

He walked over to Smith who was at that point taken by the affects of the pills, he had given into drunken sleep, Smith was gone. Neo kneeled to him, lying his knees on the floor and his head on Smith's bedside.

"I'm sorry." Neo told him. "I never meant it to be this hard for you."

Neo blew his black hair out of his eyes.

"I don't know what I'm saying anymore Smith…" Neo confessed, and Smith did not hear. "I feel like I'm just a vessel for all these people to speak through. These words…they're not my words…I deny them, I deny them truth and I deny them my memory. But the Oracle Smith…I trust her, and I don't know what she's trying to say… You have no flesh, you have no blood…she kept saying…I denied it, Smith, really I did. But denial is a sign of a weak mind I guess…"

Neo buried his face in Smith's sheets.

"Smith…you're not real. That's what she said. That's what that means. You own no flesh and no blood like this Matrix owns no mass. You're just part of it I guess…or a manifestation of it. I don't know. I never know. I don't want to know anymore…"

The dream he dreamt he fought with the Oracle. He threw away the cookies, and ran out of the kitchen. He slammed himself into the wall, and said she was lying. He shook his head like madmen do, and he kicked away her coffee table. He broke a vase, and said she lied. She did not know what he knew about Smith. She could never know, how could she? She was just a memory now. A memory Neo couldn't even recall. In his dream, Neo was afraid, and he fell to the floor like he imagined his seven year old self did with his mother. And the Oracle told him, and said he had to get up.

Neo did not get up. Neo only woke up with another piece of the truth.

"That doesn't mean I can't free you, though, right? No…I'm gonna get us out of here, you'll see, I'll get us out, and we can go find a way out of the Matrix."

Neo leaned towards Smith.

"Tonight, I will find you a choice, and we will prove her wrong."

---------------------

Now it was but a waiting game, a few hours to entertain himself, which came easily with Neo, reverting back to old tactics from when he was locked up in a straight jacket. At least now Neo could move. When the sun was high Neo did a few hours of Tai Chi, then read some of his Yin Yang Book, then went on to draw his Oracle, and then wondered how long he could stay up side down on his head. He found out about twenty-eight minutes. Neo meditated, or what he thought was meditation, he couldn't be sure he had no Master.

All the while he was making himself pure for his journey. He pushed and pushed and pushed all that he could, he pushed as much bad as he could out of him. The fear the hate, all the negative emotions that were given to him as gifts from Yin, so that he may enjoy love with Yang. So that he could continue to love Trinity.

A couple of the times the guards came in, and even once Michelle, but Neo had to lie to them, pretend that the drugs had a hold of him and he was still asleep from them.

But soon the time came, the hours passed as hours always do, and the time came. The sun set, the night came as Neo's shield. It was time, in the dark of the night, he could do it. He snuck over to Smith's bed, lifting the mattress to take the Master Key, and unlock himself out his cell.

"I'll be back." Neo said.

He shut the door, and in the now practiced method snuck around the Asylum, alone. It was large and desolate, perhaps eerie how quiet it was. But Neo went on, passed the cameras and sleeping guards, passed the screaming halls that called his name in agony, passed Miho, passed Armel, and passed Joshua Daniels. He snuck to a place where the insane were not meant to go, and what was up there Neo hadn't a clue. It didn't matter, none of it mattered, he only wanted to go there for one reason.

And while he finally found the stairs, his heartbeat grew in excitement, Smith's heart grew in excitement. Neo's fear grew, Smith's fear grew. Neo opened a door yet to be opened by the mad, and Smith woke up.

Neo entered the second story of the asylum, where the mad were forbidden for they could jump and commit suicide. Smith noticed he was gone, and peaked out through the door window looking for him.

Neo looked around the second floor, it wasn't much. It apparently was where the medical supplies were kept, he saw machines he saw at the hospital, and there were rooms where he assumed pills were kept. He didn't really care, he just was looking for something, something he needed to find a choice. The room was completely dark, but by then his brown eyes had shifted and could sort of see. The moon's light shined in through the very large windows. It was a bluish light, and Neo liked the atmosphere, he felt comfortable in the coldness of it all, it felt somehow familiar. He quickly snapped out of it, focusing on what he had come here to do.

Neo was going to fly.

It was easy. Men can fly. The only thing stopping them is themselves. The belief that they can not fly. But they could! Men can fly! It was so simple! It was just walking, but not walking on the ground!

He jumped to a fairly large window, opening it up with ease, and quickly climbing out to its ledge…

-----------

"Mr. Anderson!" Smith yelled within their cell. "Neo, WHERE ARE YOU?"

Smith could feel a sudden cold chill down his spine. He didn't like this, he didn't like this at all.

------------

There wasn't much of a wind once Neo stood on the window's ledge. He had expected there to be more, but he guessed that it was a summer night, where it was warm. Neo could see the outside area, and that damn tree he could never climb, he was now high above it, and felt some sort of victory over it.

Neo snapped out of it, coming back to himself, he looked at the ground beneath, waving it hello. He smiled, and closed his eyes.

"Just like in your dreams." He told himself.

He opened his eyes and looked straight on. It was simple really, the idea of flying. It was as simple as walking on water, which was as simple as walking on the ground. Nothing stopped him here, he tried to realize that. Air could be as solid as ground, he knew that. Nothing stopped him now, it was so easy. He just had to push himself off the ground, that's all, it was just like walking. He just had to choose to walk on air this time, not ground, but air. The bad, as much bas as there could be, was out of him. He was good, he was pure, he had the strength and the belief to do it. He simple had to extend his strength to touch the ground, and walk.

There was silence inside and outside Neo. One last breathe.

Neo stepped off the ledge.

Neo stood on the air for a moment.

Neo was on the ground the next moment.

-------------

"NEO!" Smith screamed.

-------------

She was called in, because he was screaming her name, he wouldn't take any of the pills or let anyone help him until she came. It was three in the morning, and she came to him. He called and she came, just like in his dreams. She walked through the halls of the sane, down and down to the back of asylum where few ever go to the hospital within it. The hospital only had a few rooms, most were for treating small sicknesses or little pains. There was only about two rooms for critical things, which had been recently used by both Smith and Neo now. This hospital was no place for surgery however, that was something they could not do.

She hated it, the hospital, she had been visiting one every day for the last three years to go and see her brother. She hated them, down to their smell. The pure whiteness of it all, as if were all okay, the purity it tried to convey, between the cries of the dying. She hated it. She hated it so much.

And she finally came to the room with him inside it. She opened the door, and he smiled at her, that hopeful, loving smile he always smiled just for her.

"I'm so glad you came." Neo said.

"I had to." Michelle, Trinity replies. "You weren't taking your medicine."

"Do I ever?" Neo joked.

"These are different, these help you with the pain."

"But I want to feel the pain, it let's me know I did it."

"Oh Neo…"

She sat next to him, as he lied helpless on those damn hospital beds, as her Collin had for three years. IV was stuck in his hands, and there was a constant beeping of the machine presenting his beating heart. She sat next to him, and held his hand, and he smiled at her. He smiled and seemed alive, small bags forming under his eyes from lack of sleep. He seemed strong for one in a hospital and that was a nice sight for her.

"I wanted to share this moment with you." Neo said. "That's why I made them get you, I hope you're not upset."

"Not at all."

"Do you think I'm crazy, Trinity?"

"Neo…you jumped out of the second story window."

"Do you think I'm crazy?"

"…You're only sick, Neo, we can make you better."

"Trinity, I'm not sick, if anything I'm the only one that's well. Me and Smith, but we've sort of discovered recently he's not what he seems to be. Appearances can be deceiving." Neo frowned.

"Neo…can't you just try and get better?"

"What do you mean?"

"Don't you want to get out of this place? You have to get better, Neo, and they'll let you go. You got to stop this, Neo, or else they'll never let you go. You have to stop, you have to get better, I want you to."

"I am better, Trinity…"

"Neo, you don't understand."

"No, Trin, you don't understand. I'm fine, Trin, trust me I'm fine, you're not ready, I'll tell you when you're ready okay? I promise I'll tell you everything about everything, and then…then everything will be okay. I promise."

The two found themselves trying to free one another from what they thought was a prison. Michelle truly did want Neo out of the Asylum. She did want him to be better. She did want to show him the city, and teach him how to drive. He had the curiosity that she just wanted to fill. He was so sweet, so innocent, this place, this horrible place she forced herself to go to everyday was not worthy of him. The sane Michelle called out for the sane Thomas A. Anderson, believing with all her being that he was in that confused Neo.

She wanted him to get better, this with all sincerity was true.

And he just wanted her to be free.

"Neo…I don't know if I can keep being this person you want me to be…"

"What are you talking about, Trin?"

"I don't know if I am this Trinity, Neo, I'm just Michelle. You're going to have to accept that."

"Michelle…be who you are…and I'll be me, and we'll see okay?"

Neo believed and believed that Michelle, the one and only Michelle was his Trinity. The Trinity who kept him company when he was alone with just his cold and empty mind. Newly reborn with only the empty Smith for company. All that Neo had was the memory of her face, the memory of her touch and her warmth.

Michelle was Trinity, Neo believed, there was nothing she could do that would stop that. It was only a matter of time now. Neo knew that now, he knew, he knew, he knew, and he accepted it.

"Neo…"

"Everything is going to work out, I have seen it."

The door swung open.

"I'm sorry if I'm interrupting anything." Smith said at the door.

Michelle wiped her eyes and said not at all, and left.

"I must be more careful with her. She's afraid." Neo says. "Hey, how'd you get here!" Neo beamed at Smith.

Smith sat next to him and raised his hand. There a deep and long cut went down his center of his palm. It was wrapped up in bandages and covered in stitches.

"I broke our window, and cut myself. They had to take me here. They gave me stitches and I asked if I could see you now." Smith explained.

"That was smart of you." Neo said. "But now they'll have to get us a new window."

"Sacrifices, Mr. Anderson. Sometimes they are necessary."

But Smith held up his hand again and pushed it towards Neo.

"She was wrong." Smith said. "Your Oracle. See? I have blood."

"Smith…" Neo grabbed Smith's hand.

"Is it not enough proof?"

Neo rubbed Smith's wound, sort of peering at it, as if he could see more now than the doctors could.

"We cannot deny the truth." Neo said.

"There just dreams." Smith frowned.

"But it is my dreams that have told us that this place is not real, and you believe those ones…"

"I have blood, I have flesh."

"Do you?"

"Do YOU?"

Neo held Smith's hand tighter.

"I'm afraid, Smith. I'm afraid of all this."

"I'm real, I'm real. See? Flesh, and blood. She said I didn't have these things."

Neo nodded, he couldn't deny it.

"But what could you be if you are not human?"

"I am."

Neo sighed.

"Changing the subject," Smith took his had away from Neo, "What were you doing jumping off the second story window!" Smith punched Neo in the head, with his healthy hand. "We are already in enough trouble as it is!"

"I had to! And I didn't fall for your information! I flew!"

"Then why did you hit the ground!"

"I flew, Smith I flew!" Neo yelled. "I stood in the air, and I was flying, but then I stopped believing, for that one second I questioned what I was doing, that made me fall! But now I won't question, I know I can fly, I know! I did it Smith, I flew! Oh…and I kept the key from them, see it's in my sock, I was able to hide it before they found me!"

"Mr. Anderson…"

"I did! I can teach you!"

"Teach me?"

"Of course!" Neo said as if it were obvious. "It's easy!"

"You're just lucky it was only the second story. All you did was hurt your back. It could have been worse."

"Duh." Neo said. "That's why I did it from the second story!"

"Duh?" Smith asked.

"Oh, it's a new word, Miho taught it to me."

Smith blinked for a moment, not knowing this Miho, he shook his head.

"Don't do it again!" Smith said.

"But if I practice, I can fly us out of here!"

"You didn't fly, you FELL!"

"How would you know, you weren't there!"

"If you really did fly, we wouldn't be here!"

"I lost my concentration!"

"Don't do it again! Or else they'll put us back in the straight jackets!"

"Oh, and cutting yourself is a much better idea?"

"I wouldn't have cut myself if you hadn't jumped out of a window!"

"I can't win with you, can I?"

"It's just that I'm right!"

"At least I'm real!"

"I'M REAL!"

"At least I accept the truth!"

Smith paused, and stared a deathly stare at Neo. He looked away, and held up his hand.

"I am here." Smith said. "I have a mind. I think with it. I am real. If what you say is true, if I have no flesh and no blood, I have a mind. I am real."

-------------------

"Further analysis shows that the jump was not suicidal, but delirious." The doctor says to the others.

"Smith's show of violence on himself has been determined to be a tactic only to meet with Neo."

"They want to see each other."

"They can still see each other and be separated in different rooms."

"They seem to be becoming increasingly violent towards each other."

"They need to be reminded that there are rules and boundaries here."

"Separation is inevitable."

"Do it now."

-----------------------

Next Chapter: Two Paths

Sorry it took so long everyone, with the upcoming of V for Vendetta I felt particularly Smith loving, and had to finish this. I'm going to see V this Friday with all my friends, who couldn't make it with me to see Revolutions opening day. I have faith in this movie, I truly utterly do.

Freedom! Forever!


	15. Two Paths

Welcome to the Mega City Asylum, residing in the outskirts of its reaches. It lies where the concrete ends and the trees take over. Where grassy hills cover the terrain, not construction sites. It's a quiet place for our many patients to begin the healing process. We have the top staff and doctors working for us. As well as many different types of pyscologies specializing in specific ways of healing, including art classes, music classes, reading, and so forth. We also include a hospital in the west wing where doctors stand by for any unfortunate events at all hours of the day. We do the best for our patients. We are not keepers, we are healers. We only wish to help.

And that is why you'll wake up from all the screaming.

"LET ME GO!"

The order was given by the doctors, who live up in their executive office, far from their patients. Far, far away from their screams and the agony. They sit upon their office watching through the windows, away from it all. They said to the lesser staff, get them, and the lesser staff has. It was the first thing they had to do, first thing in the morning. They asked a lot of questions to Aaron when he got to work because he was their pill giver for years. They asked what they did, and if it was true that they can fight and kick like Kung Fu movies. Aaron said, yes, yes they can.

Sedatives were prepared.

Michelle was asleep on a couch in the Hospital Wing, she had told a nurse to wake her up when it was time for work, the nurse had nudged her, but she had fallen back asleep. They had long since taken Neo back to his cell, his back was fine, he just needed to not strain himself for a while. They all knew that this suicide, was only a stroke of insanity manifesting, he was not trying to kill himself, no not Neo. He was just for a moment confused, and so he jumped off a building. But now he is all better. Neo was able to walk himself to his cell and everything. He passed Michelle sleeping on the couch.

She was so beautiful.

He went to his cell, Smith already there sleeping with his hand wrapped up in a bloody bandage. Neo laid on his bed, and he went to sleep.

"NEO!"

Then he woke.

He woke to Smith screaming and standing on the top of his bed. There were people there, people he did not recognize. Guards, large and strong guards, trying to grab at Smith. Neo rose, and a guard came to him, pressing him down on the bed.

"Smith?" Neo yelled.

"Sir, don't struggle." Said the guard to him.

"NEO! They're taking me away! They're taking me away!"

"Smith?"

"Don't struggle."

Neo looked up at the guard, who was then pressing his shoulders deeper into the bed. He squinted for a moment, thinking over the situation. Smith was still standing on his bed, kicking at the guard trying to get him down. Neo looked back up at the guard pressing on him. And Neo kicked him in the stomach, and pushed him off.

"Get off of me!" Neo yelled.

"Stop it!" Smith was yelling. "They placed us together! You can't do this! STOP IT!"

Smith was yelling orders and no one was yielding to them. No one bothered to even listen. He had no authority with them, he owned no power over them. They were not the sky, they would not bow to him. They were not Neo, they would not gladly obey him. Smith was powerless, standing on a bed, trying so hard to escape, knowing already it was futile. He could see it all happening in his head, the events that were to come, still he tried. Still he stood on his bed, feeling the corner he backed into, and wondered if there was a chance, a chance at all.

Neo punched the guard who had now been holding his stomach in pain. He jumped over onto his desk and next to Smith on his bed. The bed bounced, and Neo nearly lost his balance. The guards said nothing, they didn't give any explanation or anything, for they had none. They just came, they just came for him. They just came to take them apart.

"Smith!" Neo screamed.

The second guard grabbed at Neo's legs, and Neo fell, hitting his head as he slid. Neo screamed in pain, a sharp pain that stretched over his back.

"MY BACK!" Neo yelled, trying to make them stop. "My back! My back! You hurt my back!"

This did not stop anyone.

The guard put his knee over Neo's chest, and the other had snuck up on Smith, who was busy watching Neo. He grabbed him from behind, wrapping his arm over his neck. Smith twisted, and kicked, and finally was able to hit him with his elbow, but to little effect. More people came into the small cell, they had needles.

"NO!" Smith yelled as he saw them. "STOP IT! YOU CAN'T!"

"Smith!" Neo yelled from the floor.

Smith in all desperation kicked at the people with the needles. He kicked one, and finally jumped over the other, wrapping his legs around the man's neck, choking him. The guard dropped Smith, who hung onto the man's neck by his legs, causing both he and the man to fall to the floor. Smith crawled towards Neo, jumping on the man who had him pinned down. The man screamed, and Neo jumped free.

Then there was a stabbing pain in Smith's back, and everything began to go black.

Sedative entered, injection. Drugs entered the bloodstream, within seconds causing drowsiness. Smith looked around and the room began to fade and blur. Colors swirled into each other, but he knew, it was just his eyes. The world was still there, it was just his eyes weren't working. He stood for a moment, until the colors themselves disappeared as a whole into nothingness. He could hear himself breathing. Then he was asleep.

"SMITH!" Yelled Neo.

They dragged him away, as Neo screamed and screamed.

-------------

"Go ahead." Said Jones.

"Ask it." Brown finishes.

Sedatives have kicked in, and somehow staring at them, Smith knows he is asleep lying on the floor somewhere. But for a moment he does not care, he only stares at the men in suits before him, before realizing he himself is wearing a suit. He lies on his knees before as they remain standing next to each other.

They stand in the hallway where Smith had seen Neo die. His blood is still on the wall, and Smith can smell death. He looks at Jones and Brown, and for a moment all he does is stare at them. Stare and stare, memorizing their faces, knowing this is the few occasions where a memory manifests into a dream. He stares at them, Jones and Brown, his Jones and Brown, Jones and Brown that only he remembers.

"Ask it!" Brown yells. "Ask the question!"

Smith says nothing only staring.

"Ask!" Brown yells.

"What is the Matrix?" Smith whispers.

Brown grabs him the jacket.

"That's not the question!" Brown yells.

Smith stares at him, as Brown shakes him. Brown, with sunglasses on, he has no eyes. The black lenses are his eyes, and he screams at him. Brown, Agent Brown, Agent, Agent Brown is hurt. Agent Brown is afraid. Agent Brown was always afraid. Agent Brown ran away from purpose, Agent Brown went looking for Smith. Agent Brown died.

"You have to ask the other question!" Brown shakes him.

"Agent Brown?" Smith whispers. "Agent?"

Where did this thought come from? His name is Brown, it was always Brown, where did this second word, this title come from? Why did he suddenly think of it, why could he only think of it now? What was an Agent? The people working for the Matrix, right? Agent Brown? Agent Jones? What was happening? Did you work for the machines?

"Brown." Jones warns.

"You have to, or you'll never understand!"

"I…knew you…" Smith says.

"ASK!"

"Who am I?"

Brown stops and slowly sits across from Smith. Brown has silenced himself as he lowers his head to Smith, as if ashamed.

"Who am I?" Smith asked again.

Brown is silent, Jones is silent, they only bow their heads.

"Who am I? Who are you? What is an Agent? Where are these Machines? Why…Why am I in this suit?" Smith cried out.

This suit, this amazingly comfortable, second skin suit. He pulled at it, suddenly feeling like it was choking him, tightening on him, constraining him, binding him. He pulled at the tie, and then took off the jacket.

"Why am I in this suit?" Smith cried.

Brown grabbed his hands, and stopped him. He shook his head, and straightened Smith's tie.

"WHO AM I?" Smith yelled.

"A Smith." Brown slowly spoke. "Agent Smith."

Brown smiled.

The world shuddered. Smith suddenly felt as though he had reached an end. He found his purpose sitting there with Jones and Brown. He found where he belonged.

He didn't want to belong.

------------

He woke up.

"Where are you now?" Smith asked. "Where are you now, when all I've ever known has been taken? I had nothing before, and now I'm left with even less."

The walls do not answer.

"I had no dreams. I had no paintings. No Trinity for my own, no Morpheus. I had no one. And now I have less."

The walls give no sympathy.

"All I have is a hiccup of a memory, and a dream of flying. And it's gone. It's all gone."

The walls turn their backs, he bores them. Smith stares at them, and finally lowers his head, defeated before he even made fists.

Smith had never dreamed of their past. He never saw it for himself, or ever felt it. He never dreamed, ever. He never had a memory of the past, his past, his life. He didn't know anything about it. He depended on Neo. He had no Trinity, no Michelle to come to him and comfort him. He had no Morpheus to laugh with and look up to. He had nothing, and no one. No one wanted him, nothing was left with him.

All he had was that day he saw Adam Brown. That was the one thing he could call his own. The one thing Neo did not recognize as a memory, but he did. Adam Brown, his memory and his face, was his. He recalls Mr. Brown, how he spoke and smiled at him. All he has is their dream, where he sees them, and they yell at him.

But Brown was gone, he had been gone for a long time, and he wasn't going to come back.

All Smith had was Neo. Neo was his, Neo was his key to their past, and his partner in this world, this world that was fake. Neo was the other sane man. The Yang to his Yin.

Now they've taken him.

They dragged him away, he was groggy then. The sedative took hold quickly, and he could no longer move and blacked out. But he could still feel. He could still feel his bare feet rub against the floor. He could feel them pull at his arms as they dragged him, and finally laying him down so that someone could pick him up. The world was black, all there was, was touch, and he was moved far away for a very long time.

And finally they place him there, another cell, with one bed, and no desk. One cell, one bed, one him.

They took him.

They did this to him.

Neo did this to him.

He sat there in the middle of his room, taking comfort on the cold floor. He looked up at the door, the small little window peering out to the world, doctors and staff walking by every so often. He sat there and he watched them. He memorized their profiles and imagined what their faces looked like.

And he hated every single one of them.

He hated them, walking by as if he did not exist. Walking by as if they hadn't done this to him. He hated them, in their pathetic ignorance. He hated them so much, and hated that they didn't know. He hated it all. He wasn't this, he was flesh, he was blood, he was Smith, he was sanity. He wasn't insane, he wasn't crazy, he was the sanest. He saw the world for what it was. He knew what no one else knew. He was flesh, he was blood, no dream lady could tell him different.

He was Smith. He was perfect.

This wasn't fair. He shouldn't be there, he felt it. This wasn't where he was supposed to be. This wasn't right. He wasn't supposed to be in this cell alone. He was supposed to be far away. He was supposed to be free. He was supposed to be with Neo. He was supposed to fly.

He looks to the walls, and tells them he blames them. The new white walls stare hatefully at him, in a way they pity him. They have no faces, and no eyes, but still he feels them, staring at him in disgust. The walls, staring at him, yelling at him silently.

He hated the walls.

This wasn't fair.

It never was.

It never will be.

Morpheus came a few hours later, saying that he could leave the room and see Neo if he wanted. Smith stared at Morpheus for a moment, asking him if he was able to go see Neo, why even separate them. Morpheus shook his head, saying it was messed up. Smith stared at the walls then, those damn hateful walls. It didn't really matter. It didn't matter that he could go to Neo now, he couldn't always be with him now. They changed it, they separated him. They pushed him into a separate path.

He could go to Neo, but he felt weak going to him. He could go, and he wanted to, but he wouldn't.

No, Smith had a better idea.

They called him an Agent, Jones and Brown. The Agent works for the Matrix, the Agent is not real, he is like the Matrix, he is a dream inside a dream. Agent Jones and Agent Brown called him Agent Smith.

Agent Smith was real. He was a man, with flesh, blood, and bone. He denied it all.

-------------------

He punched and kicked, and fought and fought. Neo was a warrior, he knew at heart that he had survived a war. He was a veteran, he had seen things no one else could imagine. He had been where blood was spilled, bones were broken, and lives destroyed. He knew Kung Fu, he was pure, he was Neo, and he fought. He fought, and fought, and fought for everything he believed and wanted. He fought, and he lost.

There were too many. Too many hands, too many pushing and pulling. They trapped him, and pinned him to the bed, and they all ran out before he could do anything, locking the door.

Neo kicked at the door, further hurting his back.

And he fell onto Smith's bed, and he wept. He couldn't do it. He couldn't stop it. He couldn't do anything. He was helpless, small and insignificant. He did not matter, he was but a crazy person in a whole building full of crazy persons.

He couldn't stop this.

There was now a separate path for him to walk, a path he would have to follow without Smith. Smith, who was a mere part of this dream world. Smith, the unemotional panic stricken logical perfectly sane mad man who is also a sociopath.

"Neo." A sweet voice called.

It was Michelle. She walked over to him, and bent down to see him as he laid on the bed.

"Neo, it's okay. You can still go see him. You just can't live in the same room anymore." She said.

Her words were calming, but insufficient.

"It's not the same, Michelle."

"But Neo…you'll still be able to see him."

"But he won't be the same next time. He'll never be the same now. They've ruined it all. They've messed it all up, and it'll be different."

"Now you're just paranoid Neo."

"No, you don't understand. You can't. It's all messed up now."

"I don't see how."

"He'll hate me now. He'll hate me because I failed to stop this. He'll hate me…He'll hate me, and he'll do something stupid."

"How do you know that?"

"I dreamt it."

"Neo, you can't base the real world off dreams. Sometimes they're just dreams."

"You don't dream what I dream! You don't see what I see!"

Neo rose, and sat on the bed, and backed away from her. She didn't understand, he didn't want her to understand. But she did. She wanted to know, to see and understand, to dream those dreams that made him the way he was. She wanted to see what continued to make him insane, she wanted to see it for herself, and see why it affected him so. She wanted to see it, so that she could end it.

So she could make him sane, and end his imprisonment. She saw it, how could she not? She saw the pain he was in, even being there. She saw how he hated the Asylum, how he wanted so much to find freedom. She was there, standing right there as a beacon. She stood before him, ready to free him. Ready to heal his damaged mind.

She couldn't take anymore pain. She couldn't see another person she cared for end.

She wanted to show him. Really she did. She wanted to show him the world outside. Teach him how to drive, get him a job. She wanted him to be free. She wanted to stop being his Trinity, and be his Michelle. She wanted him to stop being Neo, and start being Thomas.

And she knew, it was too much to ask.

"Neo, what you see isn't what's happening!" She yelled. "That's why you're here! Don't you get it? That's why you're insane!"

"I am not insane!"

"You're mixing realities, Tom!"

"Don't call me that!"

"Your dreams are not reality! They are just dreams!"

He kissed her.

And the entire world stopped.

Their lips parted, and he sat there, in front of her, like a child does to a parent. He sat there and looked at her, with a stern and strong face, a face he had never given her before.

"I'm not insane." He said. "My name is Neo."

She stared at him.

"This world isn't real." He told her. "This entire world is just a dream, and we're all trapped in it. Somewhere Michelle, you're just a single body in a whole crop of bodies, inside this red pod, naked with plugs poked into your entire body, sucking the energy from you."

He stared back at her.

"I'm not insane. My name is Neo. I was a warrior who fought with Smith. Morpheus was my leader. Tank was my friend. I was in love with a woman named Trinity."

She looked at him, and slowly shook her head.

"I don't believe you." She told him.

"You look just like her." Neo continued. "My Trinity. Such a beautiful white face, and blue eyes. The black hair only makes the eyes and face more fine and precious. You're so beautiful. She was so beautiful. Do you know what I dreamed? What I dreamed when I dreamed of her?"

"No…"

"I saw her, dying. I saw your face, and she was dying."

"Neo…"

"My dreams are my memories, they're all I have left of her. I dream of her. I dream of a war. I dream of pain and agony, and she was the only joy I can see. I love her."

She kissed him.

And the entire world stopped.

She kissed him, he kissed her. The world stopped for these moments. It saw the beauty of the moment, and stopped for them. He cupped her face, as she wrapped her arms around her neck, and they kissed.

Michelle, a woman with Trinity's face, she kissed him. She had wanted to for a long time, and finally found that she was. She wanted to free him from himself, to make him sane, so that she could do this. She wanted him to be a sane man when they fell in love. She wanted him to be able to fully understand and appreciate the love that they would feel. He could not do this as the mad man he was. She couldn't do this if he was insane. He wouldn't be able to handle it, he wouldn't be able to understand it. It would only hurt him in the end.

She wanted to pick the pieces of him up, put them all back together, and kiss him. She wanted to show him the world when he was sane, and teach it to him all over again. She wanted to love him as a sane man, to kiss him as a sane man.

But there she was, already kissing him.

Maybe it meant he was sane after all.

---------------------

Smith walked the halls of the asylum, noting how much different they appear in the night. He walked and walked, scanning each area. Every guard and every camera. He noted the truly mad, and the truly sane. He walked and walked, until finally he entered the cafeteria, where only a few people were eating. It was not quite time for breakfast, and not quite time for lunch, and only a few crazy people ever celebrated brunch.

Smith had a plan. He saw the path. He saw he could not escape it, it was his purpose, and one could never change their purpose. This was the path, this was meant to happen. He was meant to be taken from Neo, he was meant to come her to this day. He was meant to never leave the Asylum, to forever be seen as a mad person, when he was the only one to know the truth. The paths had diverged, there was no sense trying to put them back together, it would never work.

Nothing he could do.

Smith was Smith, Neo was Neo. He now saw that they were separate, and that there was no escape. This was it. This was his path. And he had to relieve it from him. He had to get rid of this. He had to release some of this excessive purpose or it was going to kill him from the inside out.

It'll only take a second.

To relieve this stress. This idea that he cannot control it anymore. Hate was manifesting, it was growing inside him. He hated everyone and everything he saw, each different than him, each not understanding him. They separated them, they did this. They opened purpose, they showed him that they will never leave. Michelle will never believe Neo, even if she grew to love him, she would never believe him. No one would, ever. They would never leave the Asylum, it was an inevitable conclusion. Machine keepers did not intend for them to leave, so they weren't going to leave.

They would die here. It was inevitable.

Smith stood before a sane server, who was handing him a plate, a mere cafeteria worker. And then Smith jumped onto the counter, and next to the server. They all yelled at him, told him to get out, told him he was doing a bad thing. Smith ignored them all and walked into the kitchen. They began getting the idea, and when he picked up the knife they chased him.

He picked up the knife, so fine and delicate, what a perfect tool, what a perfect weapon. He grabbed it, and he ran. He ran, and ran, and the sane ran after him. Smith ran out of the cafeteria, and into the open, and escaped the sane for a few more seconds.

He ran to where everyone could see him.

He ran to the open, where Armel, Enoch, Enosh, Michael, Miho, Neo, and Michelle could see. They stood before him, as he stood tall and proud with the knife in his hand.

He stared over at Neo, who had his hand over Michelle. Neo was shaking his head, and mouthing "Don't." Smith just stared at him, stared at him and that woman, that horrible disgusting human female. Smith shook his head back at Neo.

"I have flesh. I have blood." Smith whispered.

He stabbed his wrists, and was ready to show the world he had flesh and blood. He cut himself again and again, and different lengths on the very arm where his scarred and bandaged hand lied. The blood quickly spilled over his entire arm, and he smiled. He looked at the cuts, so many, many cuts. He did them with perfection, cutting many times, without cutting too deep. Just barely opening the flesh, just barely making a way for the blood, which was making a puddle below him.

The pain, the cuts released the purpose, the hatred was able to escape.

His life, his meaning, the purpose which bound him so were beginning to leave him. It wasn't suicidal, he didn't cut deep enough for that, it was just a pain reliever.

It felt so good.

Armel was laughing with Enosh and Enoch. Michael was covering his mouth, and Miho was running away. Neo stood there, motionless, knowing this was a show made for him, a monument Smith had built only for him. Neo stood there, knowing that even if he screamed, even if he told Smith this was the stupidest thing he had ever seen, Smith would never hear, for the words he preached could not be heard by Smith. The love he gave never felt, and so on, and so forth as his Oracle predicted.

Smith soon dropped the knife, content with the relief he had given himself, and the show he had put on for the others. He was flesh and blood, and now everyone knew that. He was no Agent of the System, he was not a keeper of humans. He was a man, he had a name, he had a body that would decay and die. He was not nothing, he was not a dream. Smith was Smith, he began walking away.

That was when he was tackled by several guards, sedated, and put in a straight jacket.

------------------

They had dipped his hands in water filled buckets, and the water soon turned red with his blood. He enjoyed watching it, his red blood infecting the pure clear water, until there was nothing left but him. His blood, the embodiment of him. The cuts didn't hurt, not at all, they felt good. They put bandages all over his arms, covering him up, and strapping him to the bed so he wouldn't move. There was a guard that was made to stand at his door.

Smith thought, that the only thing that could make this better was if he had an epileptic attack right about now. Oh what a show, it would be an encore! The hours dragged on, as they watched him not move, as the cuts began to heal, as the world passed him by without a second glance.

Then Neo came.

"They won't let me stay, I'm only here because Michelle helped me." Neo said.

Smith said nothing. There was nothing to say, only actions to analyze. Really he had no words for Neo, no sentences to grace him with, no explanations. Nothing. He had nothing for Neo, who had everything. He only stared at Neo, as he came and sat next to him on the edge of the bed. Neo laid his head on Smith's arm and put his hands up as if he were praying.

"Smith…they'll let you out soon, okay? You just got to…you can't do that again. Why did you do that? That was so stupid, Smith. I don't understand. I'm sorry if it's me. I couldn't stop it, Smith. But you have to be strong now, you have to, okay?"

Smith said nothing.

"I'm sorry I couldn't stop it. I'm sorry I caused it. I'm sorry I hurt you. Please…understand, I just…I love her." Neo tried.

Nothing.

"They'll let you out, and we'll figure this out together, okay? You and me, and then…then we'll get out of here. And I'll…I'll get you out. I'll get us both out and we can be free, Smith, free…"

"You lie…" Smith whispered. "You wouldn't leave…without her."

Neo looked at Smith and then to the floor, frowning.

"I told her everything, she doesn't believe me. It's best if I left her." Neo said.

"Stop lying."

"I'll get us out…and I'll figure this out, and I'll…I'll…" Neo started.

"Mr. Anderson…" Smith whispers. "There's something I have to tell you."

"What?"

Agent Brown, Agent Jones, possible human beings working with Machines, or perhaps a manifestation of the very Matrix they reside in. A Matrix that is put into a human form, given a face, and a voice, and a mind. Agents put them here, Agents did this to them, he was an Agent. He was an Agent trying to convince himself he was a man with flesh and blood and a soul that could be both damned and saved.

"My name…is Agent Smith."

"I know." Neo slowly nodded.

"What does it mean?"

Neo thought about it for a moment.

"Absolutely nothing. It changes nothing." Neo told him.

"Neo…I hate you."

I hate you with your flesh, and bones, and blood. I hate your pumping heart, and your brain that contains a mind inside it. I hate your face, that can smile and frown, that can laugh and cry. I hate your voice box that gives you a voice, and I hate your tear ducts that allow you to cry. I hate the pigments in your eyes that make your eyes brown. I hate the cells of your very being, and the atoms that make up them, and the DNA that makes up them. I hate the air you breath, and the carbon dioxide you exhale. I hate your path. I hate your voice. I hate your words. I hate your mind, and your dreams, and your memories. I hate your love, it mocks me. I hate your triumphs and your failures. I hate that you have everything, and I nothing.

I hate that I hate you.

Neo hugged Smith.

"I hate me too, Smith."

----------------

Next Chapter: Someone Else

Now, now, everyone, remember sometimes all this pain, and all this hurt is worth it.

I saw Farscape finally on TV, it has our good friend, Agent Brown playing a mentally unstable alien. Oh I loved it, and since I've wanted to write some Brown goodness, I think I will soon.


	16. Get Out

He stood in the rain, he stood on air in the rain. He breathed in deep as the water fell like bullets on his skin, and he saw two men in suits below him. He walked down to them, walking on the air like it was an invisible staircase. He thought them to be Agents but one, the shorter one smiled up at him when he came close.

"You must stop him." The tall one said.

"Who?" Neo asked them.

"This is not right." The shorter one said.

"He is not the same."

"We should have stopped him."

"When we could have."

"We did not know."

"We did not understand."

"But you, Neo, you can stop him now."

"Who are you guys talking about!?" Neo screamed.

"You can do it."

"For you are a part of him."

"And he you."

"Who are you!?" Neo tried.

The two men looked at each other for a brief moment.

"He's waiting for you."

"You can do this."

"You can free him!"

"No more waiting!"

"Get out, now!"

The lighting struck, and the dream faded away.

What a strange dream. So strange Neo had put it in the back of his mind. He didn't think about it, he didn't want to think about it. He didn't even allow it the right to exist. To him, there was no dream, no memory. He lied to himself, and he was fine with not telling him that he was lying.

He had enough to think about anyway.

He had to find out a way to get out of there, both him and Smith.

Neo felt. He was human, and all the things that made up a human. He was flesh, and he was blood. He was the pigments that made up the pale color of his skin, and brown of his eyes. He was the heart that was made up of cardiac muscle, electrically pumped. He was the muscles and the fibers that made him up. He was the bone within these muscles, and the marrow within those bones. He was the brain that gave life to the rest of him. He was the mind that was beyond such binding organs. Neo was Neo.

Neo was staring at his hand, knowing he wasn't looking at it, knowing somewhere in the Real World he was but a man in a red pod giving life to his machine keepers. He knew that he wasn't really staring at his hand, and what was before him was not even a hand, it was nothing. But he couldn't keep his eyes off of it. His hand. His hand that touched the world that was not the world. He stared at it, and stared at it, and stared at it. Until he thought he saw beyond his hand.

Until he saw nothing but green.

"You bastard…"

Neo looked up to see Armel in his doorway the green lights which had just dazzled him faded away.

"He wasn't supposed to be the one!" Armel pointed at him.

"What?" Neo whispered.

"He wasn't supposed to be the one to go insane! He wasn't supposed to be the one locked up! You were! He was supposed to work for me!"

"Armel what are you…"

"You did this to him, you god damn demon! You and your Matrix!"

"What!?"

"You drove him mad! You infected him!" Armel runs at Neo.

"I didn't do anything!" Neo screams.

"DEMON!"

"I am not a demon!" Neo yelled back at him.

"What's going on?" Came the voice of Michelle.

The two men looked back at the door to see her standing there with a tray of food. Armel's mouth dropped at he slowly turned back to Neo, hatred burning in his eyes. Finally he stood up and brushed himself off.

"Je suis désolé, je ne parle pas anglais." Armel spoke in his native tongue. "Excuse in moi, I…em…do not speak English."

He spoke not pronouncing the words correctly, and never saying the ends of them as if he were still a Frenchman back home in that small village with his girlfriend when he was thirteen and the world had no guns. Armel turned back to Neo and waved his hand.

"Je vous déteste et souhaite que vous mouriez!" Armel yelled before storming out, pushing Michelle aside.

Michelle watched and turned back to Neo who seemed shaken by the entire thing. She came in and sat next to him on the bed, laying a tray of breakfast in front of him.

"He can speak English." Neo whispered.

"I know." Michelle says. "Aaron talks about him all the time…and I took some French in college."

"You did?"

"Yeah…I wanted to some day go, take a trip to Europe."

"What…What did he say?"

"Well…I hate you and I wish you would die."

"Oh…"

"Yeah…"

Neo fiddled with his thumbs.

"Hey, Michelle, do you know anything about Jesus?"

"What?"

"Nothing, never mind."

"I came to talk to you…about Smith. He's doing fine you know? They put him in a room by himself, in a straight jacket. One of the doctors is going to talk to him and help him…and he'll be okay."

Neo had suddenly a sad expression on his face.

"He will deny them." Neo whispered. "He won't let anyone help him."

"Why not?"

"He doesn't believe he needs it."

Neo sighed, and Michelle took his hand.

"I need to tell you…I think you shouldn't see him for a while, until he's all better."

"What!?"

"I'm afraid that he's hurting you. He's making you worried. And well, I think that it'll be better for both of you if you just…wait a while to see him."

Neo suddenly grew very silent.

"You believe me right? About everything?" He asked to.

Neo's eyes grew with hope, and Michelle lowered her head. He wiped the hair out of her eyes and smiled at her until she looked up at him.

"Listen. Smith is different. He is not like you or me, and he can never be. He just can't. All he has is me, and I can't just leave him."

"Neo, he's sick, sicker than you are."

"But I'm not sick! We're not sick! Smith…is just sad."

"Neo…"

"The Matrix has you, Michelle. It has all of us. This is the truth. Try to believe me."

Brown eyes so full of hope, so full of fragile joy.

"I will try." She finally said.

And he kissed her, and held her, and cupped her face, and lied upon her shoulder.

"We have to get out of here." He told her. "It's killing the both of us."

"Neo…please, try to understand I'm going to help you."

"Then let us out of here."

She gripped him tighter.

"You know we wouldn't hurt anyone, you know we wouldn't hurt each other. This place though…he'll die in here, and I'll die in here!"

"You'll die out there! Do you understand that? You don't know how to live out there."

"Then help us! Teach us, please!"

"Neo calm down!" She tried to hush him, constantly looking over her shoulder.

Neo put his hand over his mouth and tried to calm herself as she said.

"I have to go, I'll come back before I leave."

She kissed him on the head like one would do with a child, and told herself, day by day he'll get better. He'll be afraid and he'll fight you but day by day he'll get better.

Neo was left to himself, hurt by the quiet he found himself in. He sighed and was almost surprised by his own noise. But then he put his legs in the lotus position and began to meditate. He took a deep breath and he knew only one thing.

He was going to make this right, he was going to get them out of there.

-----------------

"Jonathon Smith. You are sick." The doctor said.

Smith stared at the doctor, grinning on the inside. He did not enjoy being here, in the straight jacket alone. No, he hated it in fact, the walls that taunted him and his small little window. Agent Smith did not like this. And so the clever Agent Smith was had formed a tactic. To be let out he must appear cured. To be cured he must go along with this doctor that now sat before him.

"Yes." Smith said. "I am sick. I am very sick in my head and I want to be cured. That's why you're here isn't it?"

"Yes."

"Well I'm very sorry for my little show the other day. I didn't cut anything vital, I wasn't trying to kill myself."

"Then what were you doing?"

"I was…relaxing myself."

"I see."

"Indeed."

Smith felt that he was somehow speaking another language, a language similar to his own. This quiet doctor was nothing like Neo, and spoke nothing like Neo. Smith felt like a translator, a Machine speaking to another Machine. How strange was this feeling of normal communication.

"I understand now." Smith paused. "That it was a wrong way to relax myself, but you see I was under a lot of stress at the time, and I was not thinking clearly."

"You've cut yourself before."

"Yes, but that was merely a way to get to my friend, Mr. Anderson."

"And what is your relationship with Mr. Anderson?"

"I…watch him. And he tries to watch me."

----------------

Neo walked the halls intent on going to a young girl. He found her drawing on a piece of paper and when she saw him she smiled with such joy only the youth could obtain. She jumped up and ran over to her bars and smiled at Neo. He smiled calmly at her and sat down across from her in the bars.

"Hi, Miho." He said.

"Hey, Neo! Haven't seen you around."

"I've been a bit busy."

"Yeah?"

"Hey Miho, I was wondering, if you could tell me something."

"Sure."

"That whole…thing where you saw my green stuff too?"

"Yeah?"

"Where'd you see it before?"

Miho's face grew cold she looked horrible, and afraid. She looked back as if she hadn't thought of that in so many, many years. She looked back to him, shamed but then she smiled.

"When I was little, very young, we went to a house where we could fly."

"Fly?" Neo's eyes lit up.

"Doors led to nowhere, we smashed bottles on the ground but the flew back into our hands complete. I saw a cat, and I saw the same cat, over and over again." She smiled. "And then men in suits came and the house couldn't do those things anymore. When I was older I went back and I burned that house."

Neo put his head to hers through the bars and smiled.

"What if I told you, that I believe you, Miho?" He said.

"That'd mean you're pretty crazy."

"I think there's something wrong with the world, and I think we've both seen it. And we're both a part of it."

"You've seen it too?"

"I think so, yeah."

"And the men in suits?"

"Oh yeah, I've seen them."

Neo smiled and slowly Miho's smile grew back again.

"I'm going to tell you something, Miho. You're going to have to listen very closely because I'm going to say it only once, because I don't think I have it in me to say it twice. It's about the world, it's about the Matrix, it's about me and Smith and what you saw. And I don't understand it yet. But I think it has you, the Matrix has you."

He told this young girl what he felt the world was, he tired to tell her of his dreams, the war on the outside, the green lights that danced before him, he tried to explain what Smith was and the men in suits. And in the end he was so afraid she would laugh at him, that she would tell him he was insane. But at the end of it all she just smiled contently and looked up at him.

"That's just great." She said.

-----------------

Smith was counting. He decided it would be the best thing to keep his mind off anything else, for numbers were infinite. At the moment he was in the millions as the sun had gone down, staring at his feet when bound to his straight jacket. It was then a loud noise from his door broke his concentration and he was rather relieved that he would have to start all over again. He looked up to see Neo bursting through the door with the key they had found.

Neo smiled and Smith did not. Neo motioned to be quiet as he crept closer to Smith, who then kicked him in the face. Neo fell back holding his cheek as Smith slammed down his leg into Neo's gut and then put his foot over Neo's throat.

"What do you want?" Smith said.

Neo smiled.

"Feel better now?"

"A little."

"Good!" Neo coughed a little from the pain in his stomach. "That's, really good, Smith."

"What do you want?"

"Smith!" Neo quieted himself. "I'm going to get us out of here."

Smith's face narrowed for he was not ready for another disappointment in his life.

"Really! I mean it this time. We have to get out of here, I know we do, I'm going to make that happen. I just wanted to tell you so you don't have to worry anymore."

Smith curled away from him.

"I don't know if we are meant to leave, Thomas."

"When did you start calling me Thomas?"

"I don't know, there's a purpose inside us, one we cannot escape. Can't you feel it?"

"Purpose?"

"It is what binds us. It is what defines us."

"You're talking crazy come on, I'll get us out of here!"

"And then what!?" Smith's voice became cruel. "What then? What could we possibly do that would matter at all! They will find us, the Agents, they will take us back here or somewhere worst. We don't even know what that place is like, we don't even know what we would do!" Smith's voice was vindictive.

Smith turned away and Neo sat there, crossed legged and waited for him to turn around again. He waited and waited for a good long while too, unnoticing the stubborn minutes that passed by in their silence.

"I am Agent Smith…" Smith said with a loss of volume. "I own no flesh, I own no blood. I am nothing."

"Smith…"

"I think I killed you, Mr. Anderson. I don't have memories, I don't have dreams, but there's this thing inside me that wants…" Smith stopped himself, his back still turned to Neo. "I hate you, I wish you were dead."

"I know that, Smith. But don't you think, don't you like think we could forget about that? Don't you feel it sometimes, that's why we liked being in the same room remember? We knew there was something that connected us."

"I feel only contempt for this thing you call a connection. And I feel, I feel…"

Hatred, endless and boundless. It seemed like a distant thing at first, anger and annoyance that now had entered every fiber of his self. The hatred came and consumed, born from envy it grew, and that was not the thing that scared him. What did scared him was that it felt so very familiar.

"Smith, I will not leave you. No matter what you may think or what I'm told, I know, I choose this, here I am choosing this, I will get us out of here. I have plans, I can do this."

"You speak lies. You will be seen as sane and you leave this place with that woman."

"No! That's not true!"

"Love, such an insipid thing."

"I saw it today, Smith!" Neo said. "The green stuff? The lights, I saw it for a brief moment I really saw it! It was the Matrix itself! I can see it Smith, I can show you how!"

Smith only shrugged and finally turned back to Neo.

"My name is Agent Smith. I was an Agent, Neo. Why did they leave me here?"

"I…I don't know…"

"I think it's because of you."

"Smith…I…I'm sorry."

Smith stared at Neo, and all he could see was a thing, a monster, the bane of his existence. The reason for all his suffering, and the reason he will always suffer.

"Get out." Smith said.

Neo crept over even as Smith kicked him in the ribs. He went behind him and started un strapping his straight jacket and then he stood and began to walk out.

"If you are an Agent, I wonder then what I am." Neo said with optimism. He looked to Smith. "If I put you here I will take you out. We'll go out into that world, we'll find help, we'll learn about who we are, we will be safe."

And with that Neo left, leaving the door open.

Smith got up and walked out.

Upon going back to his room he found Michelle there waiting for him on his bed. He quickly closed the door and gave a look of embarrassment as he did. She looked at what he had done, snuck out someone, she gave a small smile and shook her head. She laughed and he went to sit next to her.

"Wow…" She said.

"Yeah…" He nodded.

She laid her head on his shoulder.

"I was thinking…" She started. "When you're better you could come stay with me."

"What if I could stay with you now?"

She took her head away and looked to the floor.

"You have to stay here, Neo, you have to get better." She said.

He put his hand on hers.

"If I showed you, with undeniable proof, would you believe me?" He asked.

Slowly after a pause she nodded.

"Then I will find you proof." He smiled.

She frowned and he put his hand upon her cheek and smiled.

"But let's not talk about that right now." He said. "I care about you. I'm sorry you're distressed."

"Well thank you." She nodded.

"Tell me about…I don't know…Noodles."

-------------

Smith had traveled into the depths of the insanity, where the cries of madmen could be heard, and the cries went on, endless somehow seeming to sing in a choir. Smith dragged his straight jacket into this place, walking with a heavy heart to a room of which he found to be locked. He stared at the lock and with the hatred of an unknown life he kicked it as hard as he could, and the door flung open.

Inside a man named Joshua Daniels flipped out of his bed.

"Smith!?" Joshua said.

"I needed someone to talk to."

"Oh…OH! That's, that's just wonderful you see, I was hoping you would come you know."

And Joshua Daniels, who had not taken his pills in such a long time, was not of himself. In the past time since Smith had yet to return Joshua had gone through a delusion believing Smith to be a figment of his imagination, in efforts to test this he stopped taking his pills to understand if what he saw was real or not. And so the pills that were given to him were hidden along with the rest of his food.

And in that time did Joshua Daniels lose himself, gone replaced by the other man who lived inside him. This man so full of rage and hatred probably more so than Smith. This man who lived inside Joshua did not care about any other human being, it did not matter who it was, or what they would be doing this evil inside could not be contained, it would have killed him if so.

This man who lived inside Joshua had spent the past few days carving his wooden spoon into something sharp.

And Smith who stared only at the floor didn't even notice as Joshua Daniels stood and took out this sharp thing.

----------------

Neo was currently lying on his back with Michelle sitting perpendicular to him, her legs crossing over his. He played with his hands as he held them in the air. By then she had moved on from noodles to troubles of taxes, in which Neo had somewhat zoned out.

But then he suddenly gasped for breath, he put his hand over his chest and he arched his back in an effort to breath. Michelle screamed slightly as she curled up and leaned over him. His eyes filled with fear and they could barely move to look up at her, his mouth opened as wide as it could to suck in more breath. She held his head and put her hand over his chest.

"What is it!?" She screamed. "What's wrong!?"

He fell on his back again, with his hands still over his chest. Breathing seemed difficult and he stared up at Michelle barely able to form the words he'd say.

"My chest…my chest hurts." Neo took a breath and was able to speak again. He rose. "My chest hurts!" Neo's eyes darted. "Smith!"

"Smith?"

"Something's wrong!"

----------------

Next Chapter: Beautiful

Back from hiatus due to popular demand. The story draws closer to its end. Smith will be hurt and the world will be seen.

Thank you all so much for your support, I could not have done it without you.


	17. Save You

"Maybe something's wrong with your head." Smith said

He looked up and found himself in a crater in the middle of the street, rain falling into his eyes. And Smith was there, in a mud-stained suit, looking straight up into the rain.

"Smith?" Neo asked.

"Stop telling everyone about your dreams, Neo." Smith turns to him. "It's the only thing you have, the only thing they couldn't take from you."

"Take from me? Who are you talking about?"

Neo rises and finds himself in a beautiful long coat that made him smile just to see it. He has no idea why, he has no idea why he's suddenly so very happy.

"They took your memories. But still, you have these dreams. Maybe something's wrong with your head. They couldn't get rid of the dreams. The Matrix is a prison for the mind, you know that."

"The machines?"

"Look at you, a fraction of the man I knew. A childish remnant of the God I killed. But they couldn't take everything, that's why you dream. There isn't much time. The Matrix is a prison for the mind. Appearances are deceiving, Neo."

Neo wandered over towards Smith, who seemingly towered over him.

"You've said too much, you have to run." Smith said.

"I have no where to go." Neo explained. "And I won't go anywhere without you."

"Appearances are deceiving. They built a whole world for humanity, what's stopping them from building one just for you?"

"Smith, please, let's just go…" Neo reaches for him, but Smith slaps his arm away.

"Stop crying. Stop whining. Stop being so damn afraid. You're alive for a purpose. You've wasted enough time being fooled. Everyone's told you already, wake up, we're all waiting for you, and there isn't time for you to be a coward."

"I'm not a coward!" Neo yells.

"Is that why you're still in that Asylum? Mr. Anderson, I'm disappointed in you."

"I'm going to get us out, I told you!"

"You're out of time, do it now."

"How am I supposed to do that!"

"Wake up."

Neo's eyes open and he finds himself laid out in an uncomfortable bed with a thin blanket that doesn't keep anything warm at all. The room is dimmed, the sun is still gone, it's the dead of night and Neo's panting. He kicks the blanket away and sits up, expecting some horrible fight to take place.

"Hey." Michelle enters with some noodles. "Thought you'd be hungry. I have to leave for home soon, but I couldn't just leave you…"

He jumps and she sits beside him in his bed, but he doesn't get any closer.

"Tom, what's wrong?" She asks.

"Where's Smith?"

And then her face grows very sad.

"There was an accident, Tom. We don't even know how he got into that cell…"

"Don't, I already know what happened, just tell me where he is."

"I don't think that' s a good idea, he isn't well, we may have to transfer him to a hospital."

"Please, let me see him."

There was something different about him, all of the sudden and out of nowhere. He was sitting up on his bed, on his knees, looking at her with this determined face, trying so hard not to express anything more than that. He held his arm up to her and grabbed her shoulder.

"What's happened to him?" She asks Neo.

"He was stabbed in the chest, and I passed out because I could feel the pain." He tells her.

Her eyes widen, that's impossible.

"Michelle, I don't mind it if you call me Tom, I know you don't believe me, no matter how hard I try to convince you. But I really need to see him right now."

"You're acting…different." She tells him.

"I'm sorry. I have to be different now."

"Why?"

"Michelle, if you don't take me to Smith, I will throw a crazy person fit."

The police had arrived along with most of the staff. They were taking Joshua Daniels in, years he'd gone without hurting anyone, but now it seems he'd need to transfer a more secure prison-asylum. He was crying when they took him away, loud enough to wake most of the tenants in their cells. He was screaming that all he was doing was trying to destroy an evil, the greatest evil he'd ever seen, it was Smith, he was crying, Smith needed to die. Then there was this investigation on how exactly Smith got into Daniels' cell, the doctors were being interviewed, some of the patients. And in the middle of this, Michelle led Thomas A. Anderson to Jonathan Smith.

It was quiet in the make-shift hospital room. All in all, Smith was stable and ignored in the commotion that was going on inside the Asylum walls. Neo entered, practically tip-toeing to maintain the silence. He looks back at Michelle who looked at him, worried.

"I'm sorry, Michelle." He tells her, but doesn't explain.

"I'll uh, give you guys a minute."

Neo briefly smiles an old familiar smile, then he turns away and she shuts the door.

Smith lays out on his bed, the tubes once again inside and out of him, making sure he's breathing, making him live. There's bandaged wrapped around the stab wound that have been bled through and slightly stain the hospital gown they've draped him in. The machines beep and they signify he's still alive. It's dim and quiet here, all but the breathing and the beeping of those machines.

Neo rests his hand over Smith's chest, over the stab wound, and Smith's eyes open. Neo presses on the wound, and Smith grabs his arm. Neo looks at him and frowns, and leans down to him.

"I'm sorry." Neo says. "I'm so sorry."

"Get out of here." Smith says. "I hate you."

"Smith, I've figured it out. You told me what to do."

"What are you talking about?"

"I think…I think I know what to do now. Smith I'm going to get you out of here."

"Then what, Mr. Anderson? What do we do then?"

"You said everything has a purpose. Smith, if we're here, there's a reason for it. We just need to go and find it."

Neo leans in closer.

"Agents left us here, remember? I think we died, but here we are, and they're trying to keep us from finding out why."

"I am an Agent."

"You were an Agent."

"There was a war…"

"And we were very important."

"I don't…"

"Just wait a second, Smith, watch this…"

Michelle stands outside, watching through the window, unsure of what to do now. That's when two men in suits walk up to her.

"Excuse me?" the taller one says.

"Oh, hi, can I help you?" She asks.

The taller one looks to the shorter before smiling at Michelle.

"Yes, I'm with the investigation, would it be possible for me to ask you a few questions?"

"Oh, well, I didn't, I wasn't really even supposed to be here when this all happened."

"Don't worry, ma'am, it's just a couple of standard questions I need to ask everyone. Here, let's go somewhere more private."

"Um, sure."

He takes her by the arm and walks her down the hall. The shorter one stays and looks into the room.

"See?" Neo asks Smith.

"Brown?" Smith sees the man in the suit outside the window. Suddenly he's got this nervous feeling inside him, he's frozen again looking at the man he knows he knows.

"He's going to take you away, Smith, he's going to get you out of here, and I'll find you."

"Mr. Anderson, I…"

Neo walks over to the drawers and desks beside Smith's bed, he's grabbing papers and a pen. Smith watches, unsure of what's happening. Neo walks over to the window, looking Brown right in the eye. He starts writing and holds up the piece of paper against the window so Brown can read.

"They are watching us, aren't they?" The paper reads. Brown nods. Neo writes again. "We don't remember everything. We know there was a war, is it over?" Brown shakes his head. Neo writes again. "Take good care of him." Brown smiles. Brown takes out a cell phone and starts typing into it, he holds it up for Neo to see. "You've taken better care of him than we could have hoped."

Neo smiles and holds his hand up against the glass. Then he turns back towards Smith, who now sits up in the bed.

"What did you write?" Smith asks. "Mr. Anderson, what's going to happen?"

Neo hugs him.

"I know you hate me, but I know you can choose not to." Neo tells him.

"Mr. Anderson, I…I shouldn't leave you on your own."

Smith looks up at him, and suddenly it dawns on him what's going to happen. They're going to be separated, not by rooms and walls, but miles, and who knows what's out there in the world. And suddenly all that hate, that hate he didn't understand and couldn't get rid of, it didn't matter at all, because inside Smith he knew he and Neo were meant to be together. Smith was not of flesh and blood, and Neo was, and it didn't even matter then and there. There was pain in his chest and he couldn't really move without it stinging, and it didn't matter. He grabbed Neo's arm.

"You have to, Smith." Neo said.

And then Smith could see it. Neo was different.

"What's happened to you?" Smith asks.

"I woke up. They took our memories and they trapped us here, but we have to get out. Go on ahead of me, Smith, I'll catch up. Look at me, I can do this. You're the one that needs to get out of here."

Neo was unlike how he'd ever been before. He was confident, he knew exactly what he was doing, and for the first time since they woke up in that Asylum, he was calm, and everything was so clear.

"This place isn't what it appears to be. When you get out, find the Oracle, Smith, and I'll find you."

Neo then started putting his hands around Smith's neck.

"What are you doing?" Smith asks him.

"You have to trust me."

Smith then nods.

"Neo. I went down into Mr. Daniels' because I didn't…"

With Neo's hands around his neck, he became calm.

"It doesn't matter. Your programming was never meant to process these kinds of levels of information. You're damaged, you always were." Neo tells him. "I can repair you."

Then Neo starts choking him, and Brown watches. This is for every day they had spent in the Asylum. This is for every day he failed Smith.

Neo ran out of the room into the hallway, crying and screaming like the crazy man they said he was. He ran down the hall, finding Michelle, telling her something went horribly wrong. The doctors ran over and found Smith dead, his heart had stopped. They rushed to do their work, they put tubes down his throat, and lightly gave him CPR, and made him breath again, and made his heart breath again. He was obviously too unstable for the hospital system at the Asylum, he would need to be transferred, to be taken properly care of. They were piling the body into the ambulance, they were driving away. The two men in suits were gone and no one could find them. No one apart from Michelle had actually spoken with them. The sun was starting to come up, the night was ending. These moments passed by like seconds to him now. It was all so clear in that time, it all made sense.

For the first time since he could remember, Neo was alone.

"Tom, I'm so sorry." Michelle calls.

He looks at her and smiles slightly.

"What did they tell you, when you first started working here?" Neo asks. "I mean about us."

"They said you were extremely dangerous. You demanded to be in the same room with each other."

"How did we get here?"

"You were…brought here."

"And no one tried to identify us? No one tried to find any friends of ours? Family?"

"…I assume proper measures were taken."

He's in his room now, and she's standing in the doorway. The morning light is dim and blue and she looks so beautiful. He stands beside his window and his bed and he's not even thinking anymore, he knows what has to happen. He can see Smith in the hospital now, the other men in suits right there beside him. He can just imagine them grabbing him and taking him away.

"Pieces of my old self are trying to tell me how to get out of here."

And he sees in her face she doubts every word he says and she's worried.

"You want me to stop saying those sorts of things." He says to her.

"I want you to be well. And perhaps…being apart from Smith for a while is the best thing for you. You need to learn to be independent of each other. If you ever…want to leave."

"You kissed me, even when you doubt me."

"…I care deeply for you."

"Why?"

"…Why?"

"What have I done to earn your care? I'm a crazy person who just months ago was permanently locked away. I jumped out of a window. I think there was a war between people and giant robots. I don't believe in this reality. Why would you ever care about me?"

"Be – Because."

"Because why?"

"Why are you doing this?"

He stops for a moment and just looks at her.

"You look just like the woman from my dreams." He tells her. "Isn't that a coincidence?"

"It's not a coincidence your mind's probably playing tricks on you. You like me, you like this dream woman, you're probably projecting her onto me."

He shakes his head.

"What do you do when you go home?" He asks.

"…I don't understand."

"Please answer the question."

"Why?"

"I'm trying to save you."

She looks at him and she knows he means it.

"I drive for forty five minutes, I go to my apartment, it's nothing much. It's on sixth and main. I usually read a book and get dinner and I go to bed."

"Do you ever see friends?"

"I don't have that many outside of work. I moved here for this job, you know."

"Moved from where?"

"Another city from another state."

"But which one?"

Then a sudden horror comes upon her. She doesn't know which ones.

"What's your mother's name?" Neo insists.

"Karen." She says.

"What does she do?"

"She was a stay-at-home mother, we had a little house in the suburbs…She has my hair, I have my father's eyes…"

"Does your mother ever call you?"

"No, I mean, she hasn't yet."

"Where does your mother live?"

"In that little house…"

"But where?"

She takes in a breath, she can't say. The general details of her life are there, but the finer details she can't account for. She can see her mother in her mind, she sees the family picture. She can see the college she went to and the friends she had, but the faces are blurred, the exact time and locations of these snapshots lost. She looks at Neo.

"I'm so sorry." He tells her.

"What? What's happening?" She says panicked.

"Leave while you still can. Go to that apartment and wait for me."

"What are you talking about?"

"Michelle, listen to me, stay calm, go home, never come back here, I will come for you."

Neo comes up to her, to the doorway and he looks around her down the hall and he can see a group of orderlies heading for them. He pushes her slightly.

"Run." he tells her.

Then he walks down into the hall in the view of the orderlies.

"Where is Smith!" he yells at them. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO HIM!" He screams.

And Michelle, still trying to recall her childhood address, turns around and starts walking the opposite way. She walks slowly, making herself keep a steady pace and she's holding back tears because she can't even remember her mother's maiden name.

"The Great Machines have taken you too, I see!" Neo yells. "Morpheus, King of Dreams will be coming soon, what will you say to me then! Get away from me, don't touch me!"

He opens up his arms to them, he walks to them barefoot like Christ himself. And then they start to grab at him and he kicks one of them in the face.

"I know kung-fu!" He screams and laughs.

And Michelle wipes her eyes and doesn't turn back.

They grab at him all at once, and Neo punches and kicks and is eventually overwhelmed. They hold him by his arms and his legs and he screams at the top of his lungs, playing the role of the crazy man they kept telling him he was.

"The Matrix has you! Can't you see it! It's all around you, it's inside you, you believe in it and it feeds off of you! Behold onto me, look upon me and know, there was once a time when Man was Free!"

She's around the corner but she can still hear him screaming and kicking away.

"Hey." She nearly bumps into Aaron, she jumps and screams a little. "Jesus, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you."

"Oh, it's okay."

Neo's screams echo beside them. Aaron shakes his head.

"Poor guy, I guess tonight was just too stressful, huh?" Aaron says.

"Yeah, I guess so."

"You okay?"

"Yeah, yeah. I just…I haven't been home since yesterday and I just want to…"

"Right, I understand. I just wanted to let you know the doctors wanted to see you."

"What for?"

"They didn't say why." Aaron shrugs. "I'm sure it's just some questions, nothing big."

"Yeah. Okay."

She nods and then continues on her way. She turns back and waves.

"Thanks, Aaron. Um, bye."

"Seeya." Morpheus says.

They drag Neo into one of the larger doctor's offices where several of the men in white coats stand. Neo fights off the orderlies when a doctor comes up behind him and stabs him in the neck with a syringe.

"There we go." The doctor says.

Suddenly, Neo becomes very tired.

"Make you a more pleasant guest."

The orderlies leave and Neo slumps down in the chair they've placed him in. His arms are heavy and he's forcing himself to take out breaths. He tries to lift his head but ends up just moving his eyes to see the blurry image of several doctors standing above him.

"You've been a very naughty, patient, Mr. Anderson." One says.

"Do we have contact with Mr. Smith?" One asks.

"Of course."

"Mr. Jones and Mr. Brown are attempting to intercept him surely."

"We are properly prepared. They are after all, only former Agents. Rather lucky for us, really, we finally get to delete those pesky Exiles."

"Should we be speaking about this in front of Mr. Anderson?"

"Why not? They're going to have to properly sedate him once again. Who knows what he'll remember after that."

"I always said it was an unwise decision to feed into his curiosity."

"It was supposed to keep him satisfied, not increase his needs. Human nature is so unpredictable."

"Well, for the record I vote we lobotomize him as I did years ago. It's the only humane way to keep him calm."

"Noted. How long until they begin?"

"I believe they're preparing the body as we speak."

"Good, get this over with while we can."

"What of the Michelle program?"

"Obviously it did nothing to help us. Delete her."

Even in that haze, even with the sedative pumping through his veins, even with the blurry vision and the sounds coming in so loud, Neo knew what they were saying. This Asylum was a Matrix within a Matrix, a prison for those who knew too much. They were going to take away his memory again, they were going to take Smith's memory again, they were going to kill Jones and Brown. And they were going to take Michelle, the program, not the human being, and destroy her.

* * *

You guys want an ending to this story? I'll give you an ending.


	18. Home

It was starting to rain outside.

"You were never meant to feel this." Neo tells him. "It's only because of me you know pain, and regret, and suffering. Do you know yourself now, Smith?"

"This is a dream again, isn't it? Did I get that from you as well?"

"Yes, actually."

"Fascinating."

He looks down at himself and sees himself in a beautiful fine suit, free of any creases or unwanted wrinkles. A perfect black suit. They're in the crater again, where it all ended the first time. He looks up at Neo again.

"This is where we died." Smith says and Neo nods. "This is where they found us. And took us."

"They're coming for you even now." Neo floats down to him. "I know this because Neo knows this. The real one."

"I assume he's in danger as well, knowing him."

"Of course."

"I'll save him. I'll save everyone."

"Why?"

"Because I choose to."

It was starting to rain outside and the sun was getting covered up by the clouds. They were a few hundred feet away from the ambulance, keeping their distance but not losing sight of it. They were going to follow it to the hospital and at the first opportunity they were going to take Smith away. But then slowly, the ambulance came to a halt on the highway, the city just over the horizon. Jones stopped the car and looked at Brown. Brown gripped his gun from underneath his jacket, they knew something was wrong.

Then another black car slammed right into their side at sixty-eight miles per hour.

Michelle was rushing down the hallways now, holding her breath every time she saw someone else passing her by. She avoided eye contact with anyone. She tried her hardest not to look distressed. She was almost to her car she knew if she could just keep it together another two hallways she'd be okay. She had her keys out dangling from her fingers, all she had to do was get home. All she wanted to do was get home and call her mother.

She was out the front door when she saw them. Orderlies, ones she's never paid attention to, people that always faded into the background. Now they were standing next to her car, not evening noticing the rain. She stopped and stared at them and then turned around and headed down the opposite end of the parking lot. She was crying but she had her back towards them, and that's when she started running. They started chasing her.

Neo looked up, helplessly at the men in white coats. One held his chin up, and almost smiled down at him.

"Poor thing." The man in the coat said. "By the time we're through with you, you won't even understand why this is happening to you."

"Do you feel sorry for it?" Another asked.

"I am compelled to feel a sorrow knowing what he used to be and what we'll make him now. Not taking into account his alliances, it is rather sad to destroy something so very strange."

"It's safer this way."

"Oh, no doubt."

The world was getting blurry, words were becoming louder and more distorted. Yet, he could still feel dread come over him as he knew he was going to lose unless something was done. There they were, even them, machines, admiring the person he once was. Even they knew the power he once had. He knew that power was still inside him, somewhere, all he had to do was find it. All he had to do was remember what he used to be. And that was his greatest failing, no matter what he did, he never seemed to understand himself. No matter how many memories or ghosts of memories told him what to do, he couldn't find the ability to fly. He couldn't be The One they kept telling him he was. He was, as he had always been, a failure.

He did the only thing he could think of. He stopped fighting, he stopped trying to keep his eyes open. He closed his eyes and breathed in deeply. He needed to find his center, he needed to go to the place where he and all other things connected, he needed to find the flow of the entire universe. He needed to find the Oracle or Smith or anybody who could tell him what he had to do next.

That's when they threw Michelle into the room and she fell to Neo's feet. She looked up at the doctors with their lifeless eyes hidden in the shadows and she grabbed at Neo's legs. She moved him and his head flopped to the side, and she lifted it.

"What – What's going on here?" She cried out. "What – What do you want?"

She shook Neo's head but it merely flopped in her arms. He was gone.

"Oh, Michelle." A doctor said. "We had worked so hard on you too, such a shame. Love is such a peculiar thing to write."

Neo turned in her arms, his eyes opened but you could see, he was in a sort of comatose sleep, his eyes opened but he wasn't seeing anything.

"Smith." Is all he said.

There was gunfire before they even could crawl out of their mangled car. The glass sprayed over them as they rolled onto the ground. More cars were arriving, surrounding them, more gunfire was going through the glass and the metal of their car. Brown looked up and could see the ambulance in the distance. He looked to Jones, desperate, and without a word he told Jones they had to get to the ambulance. They had to get to Smith. Jones nodded. He rose above the roof of their car and fired at the men in suits coming for them. Three cars, nine Agents.

"Give me your gun." Jones said and Brown obeyed.

Jones rose again, two guns in his hands. He fired and the Agents dodged the bullets. He fired and shattered glass over their heads and burst the air out of their tires and tried to fire through their car doors all while Brown was running. Like Smith, Jones and Brown were former Agents, in their very essence was simple programming. As an Agent, you don't give up. You never stop. You complete the mission, there is no such thing as failure, there are no other options. In the very makings of who they were, Jones and Brown and Smith were innately unstoppable. So Brown ran for it, the mission was to get Smith, and he was going to be damned if he was going to fail again. He dodged bullets as he ran, he was just ten feet away from the ambulance when a bullet finally grazed his ankle and he went down.

"Brown!" Jones yelled.

A bullet was heading straight for Brown's head, and if it had not been stopped it would have been a beautifully efficient kill. But the bullet, mere inches from its target, came to a stop. Brown looked up and saw it spinning in the still air. And that's when everyone knew.

Smith kicked out the doors of the ambulance. His shirt was still stained in his blood, his pure white uniform from the Asylum, but it didn't matter anymore, the wounds were healed, because there were never any wounds, because this was the Matrix. Smith stood, his chest puffed out, and all the anger in the world in his eyes. He was a striking figure to the Smith Brown had known and loved, the Smith that led them, the Smith that conquered the whole world. He surveyed the scene, which had paused to witness his coming. He saw the cars and the Agents and then his eyes fell upon the fallen Brown.

Smith could not remember everything by any means. The details of his life were still lost unto him. All he knew in that moment was that when he saw Brown beneath him a sense of familiar comfort washed over him like nothing before. Finally, after being lost, he saw something he knew for certain, he saw a strand from the past in living form. After all those years, he felt for the first time a feeling of relief, and finally understood what coming home was like.

They had opened fire again, but the bullets, no matter where they were aimed stopped before they could ever touch anything. They floated there, still, waiting. Smith knelt down to Brown and pulled him up. Brown quickly, and surprisingly embraced him. Smith was at first repulsed and moved away but stopped himself and stayed. Brown held his arms around him, and Smith laid his head on Brown's shoulder, and somehow this all felt right.

This time Brown tried to let go and move away, but Smith continued to lean on him. Jones ran up to them, dropping the guns, he didn't need them any longer. Jones wrapped his arms around Smith and Brown and even Smith understood this was some sort of reunion. Smith looked up at them finally, releasing them and standing on his own. He didn't understand, he didn't really know the two men who stood before him, but he could not deny the overwhelming comfort that came in seeing them. And like the old times, like the times Smith couldn't even remember, the times when they were Agents and were a singular unit, nothing had to be said. Everything was communicated without words. All they had to do was look at each other, and they each knew what the others meant to them.

Smith looked at them, almost afraid, weary perhaps, thinking maybe he was mistaking these feelings like he had many times before. They could see this too, and understand it. The Smith they knew was afraid of nothing, and arrogant beyond all measure. What they saw now was still Smith, they had no doubt, but a broken Smith.

Brown put his hand on Smith's shoulder.

"It's all right." He said.

The Agents had given up on their guns, they were running towards Smith and the others, one group was getting back into their car, ready to ram into them. Smith looked up and held up his hands, and in an instant all the bullets he had stopped flew out, killing the Agents. They fell to the ground, the car stopped.

Smith looked up, unsure of what he had done or how. But he saw Brown and Jones in their suits and stood again in all his confidence.

"I hope you brought a suit for me."

This made them smile.

They took him to the trunk of their car where they pulled out a beautiful and impeccable black suit.

"Oh, yes." Smith said. "This is what I have been waiting for."

"We kept it all these years." Jones told him.

"How long has it been?"

Smith immediately began undressing, he knew somehow, everything would be better if he could just get into that suit. Brown and Jones hid their surprise and handed him his shirt and pants as he needed them.

"Seventy-eight years." Brown told him.

Smith looked up at him, surprised.

"I did not think it'd be that long." Smith explained.

"We never stopped looking for you." Jones said.

"You do know us, don't you?" Brown asked.

"Yes. You are Brown. You are Jones. I am Smith. We were Agents together. We were made to fight against people in the war. That is all I know. That is all I need to know at this point."

"You…You don't know anything else?" Brown asked, hopeful.

"I know Neo and I are very special. We are connected."

Brown hid his disappointment well. He had hoped, almost despite hope, that Smith would know more. That there wouldn't be just a rudimentary understanding of who they were and how they related to him, but that he would just know. Brown imagined the talk that was ahead of them, the night they'd sit down and explain to Smith how he hated everything and everyone and even killed himself and Jones seeking out perfection. This Smith, this the broken one, the one who looked Brown in the eye and wasn't filled with contempt, had no idea what kind of hate was needed to just want to kill everything. You could see it in Smith, the way he moved, and spoke, it was still Smith, still confused and arrogant and distrustful of people, but he didn't look at you with disgust. He didn't look at the world and immediately want it gone.

Brown supposed he should thank Neo for that.

"They'll send more Agents." Jones warned. "We need to move."

"No." Smith said.

He was buttoning his sleeve and he felt so good.

"Neo is in trouble. We need to save him." Smith explained.

"There's no time." Brown said. "Smith, we have you, we need to leave."

"I will go nowhere without Neo."

"We will find him again, as we did you."

"So in another seventy-eight years? He won't know me then, he won't know anything."

Brown reached for Smith, but Smith stepped back. All he had left to do was put on his shoes and he'd at least look like the Smith they knew. It must have been the suit, the familiarity of wearing one bringing back more memories, because Smith stood up and with the authority of an Agent, he gave out his orders.

"We're going to save him. We're going to save everyone." Smith said.

Jones looked at Brown, who turned away and grabbed at his cell phone.

"I'll call re-enforcements." Brown mumbled. "Johnson?" He called into his phone.

"Johnson?" Smith asked, the name sounding familiar.

"Johnson is on our side now." Jones explained. "We'll be fighting his upgrades today. A lot has happened since you've been gone, Smith."

They were grabbing Neo out of her arms, men in suits who had joined the doctors in their office. She was crying and screaming, demanding to know what was going on all while trying to keep him in her arms. They didn't answer, they tore him away.

"Let's get this operation underway." The doctors said.

Before her eyes she could see technology she didn't recognize appear out of the walls and floor and ceiling, as if these surfaces were just water. A chair with lights and tubes and needles she had never seen before, an array of what she could have guessed were operating tools came from the ceiling, all held together by wires sprouting from a stainless circle made of light. It is there they placed Neo, face down and strapped him into the chair.

"Tom!" She was crying. "Tom!"

The doctors came up to him, they grabbed a large needle with a red bulb at its handle and aimed it over his neck. With one thrust they plunged this six-inch needle into his brain stem and his body shuddered.

"Main connection established." The doctors said.

The men in suits grabbed her next, they held her down as she kicked and screamed, watching as they cut open the back of Neo's shirt along his spine. They took more needles, smaller, but all with that red bulb, and punched them into his back. Each time the body shuddered, but less and less so, as if it were giving up.

"Oh, yes, this is going splendidly." The doctors said.

"He's doing very well, good boy." The doctors said.

"Stop! Let him go!" She was crying.

"What should we do with her?" An Agent asked.

"Delete her."

"What?" She asked.

The Agents started dragging her away.

"No! What are you doing! Tom!"

A red liquid that seemed to glow shined through the tubes and the needles, they all began to move, they were taking blood from him. She knew she had to do something, and without even thinking she knew she believed him.

"Neo!" She cried.

The operation was more precise than Michelle could discern. The machine wasn't simply taking Neo's blood as it was replacing it, replenishing it. Outside the Matrix was Neo's human body, deep in Machine City, and in order to keep a human body nourished and alive far beyond the span of a human lifetime, certain steps had to be taken. The body had to be nourished, had to be given artificial blood. All the machine was doing here was emulating what was happening in the Real World and establishing a mental connection to his mind so that they could pick and choose what to throw out.

Neo was completely connected to the Machine now, in mind and body. The Machine could see into him, and he in turn, could see into it. Of course, he was not supposed to be able to do this, but there was so much The One could do when he wasn't supposed to. In those moments Neo was not limited to the tissue of his body, his mind reached into that of the Machine's, which is so unlike that of a human brain. In those moments Neo was exposed to thousands of years worth of information, data that rushed into his mind. He saw history through the Machine perspective. He saw the first war, the first Matrix, the first Smith, and the first One. He understood all things at once in those moments. He saw himself in his human form, he saw what he had done to die. He saw Trinity.

Then he heard Michelle.

"Neo!"

She said his real name.

He realized he had done this before. He realized they had done this to him twenty-six times before in the last century, all to keep him alive. He realized those previous twenty-six times he had known all he knew then. But when this moment passes he'll forget, they'll make him forget.

He heard Michelle.

She said his real name.

So he decided it all ended there. Without form, a mind without a body in a computer, not even in space as he knew it, absolutely purely nothing within the Machine mind, he fought back.

The doctors began to notice something was wrong. The machines they were using were malfunctioning, giving off chart readings that were impossible, overloading and simply ceasing to work.

"What's happening?" they asked.

The Agents stopped, sensing a greater danger.

That's when Neo began to wake up. There was no drug in his veins, the Matrix wasn't real, there were no veins for the drug to be in the first place. Once he knew this, once he really knew this, it became simple. He began to rise out of the chair, the machines going haywire, the doctors backing away. He sat up in the chair, the wires stabbing into his brain and his spine. He looked up and the machines sprayed open in sparks, he saw the Agents, he saw the doctors, he knew everything.

He grabbed the nearest doctor by the neck and raised him off the ground.

"You broke your promise." He told them. "We had a truce."

"I don't know what you're talking about. Thomas Anderson, you're a very sick man. Let us help you."

"Don't lie to me."

"You're delusional, Thomas, you're probably hallucinating right now."

"I said don't LIE TO ME."

Neo raises him higher off the ground.

"Peace with humans was always going to fail." The doctor admitted. " It always has. After your death humanity fell into chaos, civil wars broke them apart. What were we to do but return them to their rightful place in our world?"

"You allowed them to fight. You didn't even help them recovery from your attacks. You broke your word to me, then you enslave me. Ask yourself this. What's stopping me from completely annihilating you now?"

He threw the doctors across the room, breaking into the wall, and then he jumped from his chair, the needles being forced out of him.

"Get him!" The doctors yelled.

Neo dodged them at first, he blocked a punch and then leaned passed a kick, rolling on the ground beneath more attacks. He slithered his way passed his enemies, until he got to Michelle.

"You're a program and this is a big computer." He told her. "You were made for me. Made to make me happy, made to fall in love with me. They'll destroy you now. Come with me, I'll save you."

It was all she needed to hear, really.

They were running before she could tell him how happy she was. The men in suits kept coming, Agents at every corner. This was Matrix within a Matrix, the Asylum a literal prison just for Neo and Smith. Everyone within, the staff, the patients, all programs created for the specific purpose to seem familiar and comforting for Neo and Smith. There was no way in and no way out of this place. It had been decided upon the retrieval of both Neo and Smith after their supposed deaths that they were too dangerous to be set free. Smith had threatened all existence, and Neo had destroyed their hold over humanity. The Humans of Zion plunged into disarray and wars amongst each other, the machines could not tell them in the middle of that that their Savior and their Destroyer had survived. The Machines knew humanity would only want Neo returned to them, and for what? To be lost in one of their useless fights? Neo had survived for a purpose, obviously, what it was they did not know, but as a threat to the Machines he was to be kept in a prison. One that would create self-doubt and self-loathing, one that would break him, keep him docile and controllable. An insane asylum seemed like the most humane thing to meet all their needs.

More Agents kept coming, the Machines were focusing their entire effort on them now. Even as Neo dodged and blocked and fought, he knew this was not his fullest power. He knew there was more he still didn't have. The Agents surrounded them, he pushed Michelle back and did his best. But they beat him down every time he got up. He swung a kick, another one would grab him and throw him to the floor, where another would punch him down into the concrete. He coughed up blood, his knuckles were bleeding. His mind was still racing through the details of the passed seventy-eight years.

Peace is established.

Zion rebuilding begins.

Civil wars break out.

Religions are formed.

Zion falls.

Morpheus dies while giving a speech on Neo's behalf years later, his message was that of unification with the Machine since it was what Neo intended with his alliance. Niobe lives until old age, she raises their daughter alone.

A generation passes before they're all back in tubes and in the Matrix.

Anger filled him with each little detail. It was all so avoidable, he knew this now. If he had been there, if Trinity had been there, to guide to love, to show the way, is all he kept thinking. All those years he thought he had only failed Smith, now he knew, he had failed everyone. He punched an Agent in the neck, he kicked in knees, and broke backs. He dragged them down to the floor and broke their sternums. Each time he won they got a punch and a kick and broke a bone. But he fought on, he fought on for every person he could see in the Matrix, every enslaved descendent of a friend he knew, for Trinity, for Morpheus. He knew he had the power of The One, he knew he could fly and stop bullets, but then, when he wanted it most, to destroy and kill, to get revenge, he couldn't do any of it. So he pressed on with what he had, forgotten martial arts, kung-fu and whatever else he had ever learned. Anything and everything to fight.

But they broke him one too many times. He fell finally and he couldn't get up. Michelle came to him and held his broken bones and quieted him down. The Agents got closer. He pushed her away.

"Run." He told her.

Before she could, an Agent grabbed her.

Then, abruptly, a ghostly arm went through the Agent's chest, and then became solid. The arm slid out of the body, killing the Agent instantly. The body fell revealing One the Twin. He looked up, white skin, white dreadlocks, and smiled at Neo.

Two appeared from above, falling in his ghost form, becoming solid just in time to slam two Agents down onto the floor.

"Hello." They said together.

Then gunfire. Jones, Brown, Johnson, Jackson, Thompson, One, Two, Cain, Abel, Seraph, and a young woman with brown skin named Sati. Neo didn't immediately recognize them all, these figures he had seen in his dreams, it was rather overwhelming to suddenly see them in person with the clarity that comes with it. He knew somehow, that they were all from different organizations, ones that were usually opposing, he knew this. He knew this meant something big, this coming together, and he knew this was all for him and Smith. These people were strangers to him, but they had come together for him.

Amongst the crowd, he knew exactly where Smith was. Their eyes met. Then he knew. They needed a new beginning, they needed to die to live again. Just as they had began, just as they had met, they died to become what they needed to be. Again, they would need to die to become what was needed. To fulfill the ultimate purpose, a transformation must occur, to reach enlightenment the body and mind must be altered. This was just part of the process. Dying and living, they were all just stages in the larger picture. He knew that now.

"Smith!" Neo called. "Shoot me!"

Smith held up your gun.

"I don't understand, but I really want to anyway." Smith said.

"Do it!"

Smith shot Neo in the chest six times, emptying his gun, and it felt so right. Everyone stopped as Neo's body hit the floor with a loud thud. They stared over at Smith and Michelle began screaming. Eyes turned to Smith who didn't show even a shred of regret. He began walking towards Neo's body when the fighting broke out again. The Agents were being told to contain the Exiles and the fugitives, to salvage what they could of the situation. But Smith walked through this sea of warriors with ease and made his way to Neo. He knelt down and lifted the limp body, blood pouring out of the holes in his back.

Smith gazed over the dead thing in his arms. Then he nudged the body as he held it.

And it was raining so hard outside.

"Come on." Smith said. "Come on."

Michelle fell to her knees and grabbed at Smith.

"How could you!" She was screaming.

Smith did not struggle against her. He did not fight her he merely looked up at her and when she saw the despair in his face she slowly stopped. He looked back down at Neo, nodding his head to the seconds that were passing, counting, waiting. Michelle calmed down and knelt down beside them, watching. Smith adjusted Neo in his arms, he supported Neo's head better, all while counting the seconds.

"Mr. Anderson." Smith said. "I told you we couldn't be apart. We have to leave this place together."

Seventy-eight years they knew now they'd spent together in a padded cell being told they were crazy to think and feel what they knew was true. Seventy-eight years and the reasons behind why they were enemies were already forgotten. They knew each other now. They knew themselves now. The war before was meaningless to them, because they knew in that seventy-eight years all they had done was stay together and fight for one another. Maybe a decade went by before they even spoke to each other. Who knows, time was relative in this Matrix inside a Matrix. A decade went by probably without them saying a word, strangers to one another, trying to cope not only with dying and coming back to life, but the machines tampering with their minds. Then one of them turned to the other and said "I know you." Then they pieced together what they knew about their lives. Then they fought. And then it started all over again. Together and alone in the cell, with just bits and pieces and feelings of what had happened. Smith could remember the padded cell, he knew how Neo slept in the corner with his back turned to him, he knew the whispers he spoke in his sleep, he knew how Neo pulled back his foot to prepare for a kick, he knew his eyes got big whenever women were around, and he'd only talk about Trinity for the following hours. In the decades past, Smith learned everything there is to know about Neo, and vice versa.

This was obviously not the end.

"Mr. Anderson, my patience is wearing thin."

He didn't cry, he didn't even seem all that sad. He spoke to Neo's body as if it were merely sleeping, because he knew, in the end, that's all it was doing. Because just then, nearly three minutes after the bullets entered his chest, Neo took in his first breath. Michelle looked at Smith and he wasn't even surprised.

Brown came up from behind her and held her shoulder.

"Hello, Miss." He said. "Don't worry, give him a moment, he'll be fine."

She looked at him.

"I don't know what's going on." She told him.

"There is much to explain, but trust me, you're with friends." He helped her up. "Follow me, we'll get you a safe distance away."

She was looking at Neo's body still in Smith's arms when Brown was taking her away, like when the Doctor takes you out of the room just before giving the patient bad news. She could see blood seeping from underneath his back, a puddle from his gunshot wounds. And yet his eyes were open, and he was smiling up at Smith. And everyone carried on fighting. Jones was covering Brown and Michelle, tackling an Agent that was aiming for them. Johnson led his group wonderfully, having never lost their cohesion as Agents. They flowed like water fighting the other Agents. Johnson would dodge, Jackson would grab, and Thompson would kick. One and Two seemed to almost enjoy the tortures they were inflicting on the Agents. They would pass through Agents, grabbing onto organs and becoming solid, pulling at the insides. They would fly through Agents, allowing the other to attack. They sided with Cain and Abel who provided bullets when they held the Agents still. Seraph and Sati were back to back, bullets flying from their guns.

Neo looked up at Smith.

"That hurt more than I thought it would." Neo said.

"Hopefully we won't have to do it again any time soon." Smith agreed.

He had to die to come back. Just as he had before, just as Smith had before. He took in breath, and he felt it, that power he knew he had once had. It flowed through him and out of him, he felt connected to everything and everyone, he understood the thoughts of others, he understood the very flow of the Matrix, which he now saw he was a part of. He opened his eyes and he could see the code that made up this reality. He saw how every action caused a reaction in the coding, the flow of reality, the Tao.

The One, the Messiah, had returned.

He didn't rise to his feet, he rose to float a foot above the air. In an instant the gunshots did not matter, the fighting did not matter, the battle had already been won. Neo merely held up his arms and the Agents were torn apart by the very coding that made them up. The Twins, the Exiles and the former Agents were covered in a rain of coding. He felt utter peace then, unlike he had ever known. He felt no guilt, no anxiety or despair as he had in the years before. He was calm, all was calm, and all became calm in his presence. Smith closed his eyes and felt this too with Neo. This was the reassurance of understanding, the reassurance of knowing one's identity and purpose. They had come home.

He gently touched the floor with his bare feet and all the doors of the Asylum swung open. All were free. It was a simple statement of Neo's purpose, a declaration of what he meant to do now. He was going to free humanity and programs alike from the tyranny of the Machine.

Michelle left Brown's grasp and ran closer to Neo, unsure if she should be able to touch him. So he grabbed her hands first and smiled at her.

"I told you I could fly."

She couldn't help but laugh.

"We still have your body!" The doctors yelled.

Smaller in numbers and clearly injured, the doctors stood together down the hall.

"We still control you! We can operate on you, we can manipulate your brain!" They yelled. "We have your body!"

"Keep it, I don't need it anymore." Neo said.

He turned to the others then, Exile, Merovingian, and a born-free program alike. He smiled.

"I would like to go home now."

* * *

Michael and Miho held hands. Deep in the underground of the Matrix, between the endless streams of coding, there was a home made for them. The Merovingian had provided stay for all the programs made for the Asylum, who now with Neo's liberation, were Exiles. This created a peculiar setting of individuals who had, through out their lives, been told they were insane and even programmed with mental illnesses, errors in thinking built into them to better create the illusion of insanity. Neo was getting better at rewriting codes each and every day, the Merovingian was teaching him, he was convinced these "illnesses" could be healed with a simple rewrite. So he promised cures to those who needed it the most. Armel, created in the image of the Merovingian, was having a particularly difficult time adjusting.

For now however, a home and the freedom to choose would have to suffice for miracle cures. Michael and Miho, programs modeled after real living people now long dead, had found each other. They were holding hands, innocently and in their own way, loving one another. This had to be enough for now. Aaron and Tank, the staff of the Asylum, and also programs were dealing with the more difficult situation of having had falsified memories in much greater detail than the patients. The pair seemed to be doing well despite this however. Their homes were modest and communal, much like the Asylum they had just left. The Merovingian explained this space moved constantly within the Matrix in order to elude Agents, there were curfews so people would get home before the space would move again and leave them behind.

"Years ago the Oracle died and passed on her sight to me." The Merovingian explains. "It gave me…perspective that I had lacked until then. When you see the larger picture…all I had wanted to do with her eyes didn't matter to me anymore. I knew I needed to find you. I knew in time, I would."

Neo and Smith nod. They read history books and did research like they had done before in the Library of the Asylum. They read their own biographies and learned the details of their lives that they had been forced to forget. And still, when the Agents were close, or more Exiles joined them, stress would rise and Neo and Smith knew no other way to vent than to fight each other.

Smith throws a killing blow, Neo blocks with his arms but it's still enough to knock him back. Smith continues on the attack, Neo recovers, Smith comes down on him. Neo grabs his arm, kicks Smith in the chest. He doesn't let go of Smith's arm and throws him to the floor. Neo jumps and Smith rolls out of the way of Neo's foot. It breaks the concrete. Smith kicks Neo in the face.

"You have to know there is no such thing as the Matrix first. It's just code" Neo explains. "You have to feel the code around you, as a substance. As a real thing. And there's code everywhere, in every space of the Matrix. The empty air isn't empty, it's filled with code. You must feel it, sense it around you, and use it. I do not fly, I stand on code, and I flow through it."

"I'm not sure I get it." Michelle says.

"Hold my hands."

The sun is setting, the sky is red, they are on the rooftops of Hearts Motel. She holds his hands. He stands in the open air just a few feet away from the rooftop. She puts her foot out into the open air and can only feel it going down.

"Gravity is just a program, it's not real here." He tells her.

"I – I don't know."

"You don't that's why you're falling."

"We're really high up."

He takes her hands and pulls her off the ledge. She begins to fall and scream but he manipulates the code around her and suddenly she's not falling anymore. He holds her hands and pulls her closer.

"This is what it feels like see? It feels like there's something beneath your feet, even if you can't see it." He tells her.

"Neo…"

She puts her head in his shoulder, and he puts his chin on her forehead.

"Did you ever teach Trinity this?" She asks.

"I wanted to."

"I'm sorry."

Smith sits on a street corner, having tea with Seraph. They sit by a three way intersection and Smith recognizes it as the place he died. Now it is repaired, there is no crater, there's just endless crowds of people walking by, not even considering the history there.

Brown and Jones come soon enough, joining them. Seraph takes this as his cue to leave and does so. Little is said then between the former Agents, very little needs to be said. They enjoy the mere act of being in each other's presence and not saying anything, but simply being there. Smith drinks his tea. Brown sits a little too close to Jones, and Jones doesn't mind. The two of them watch Smith drinking his tea.

"You've grown so much." Smith tells her.

"You only knew me as a little girl." Sati tells him.

"Did you ever hate me?"

"No. I was a child, I didn't understand what was happening. It didn't hurt for very long, and when I woke up I didn't really remember anything."

"I can't tell you my reasoning. But know I did it and I am sorry."

Neo tells the Merovingian that he will destroy the Machines. He says they betrayed his trust, and allowed the truce between them and humanity to die on purpose. They have created slavery for humans all over again for it they must be punished. Smith is there to tell Neo that he cannot get blinded by his emotions. There are Machines, like himself, like Brown and Jones, who want to help humans. They're programs, Neo says, not Machines. There are Machines out there where we cannot see who feel the same as we do, Smiths says. Neo lays out his plan to destroy the Matrix once and for all, freeing humans and Exiles alike. He tells them he is the Source and he knows he can do it. They start planning for the new world outside the Matrix, they dream. It all seems so close and so possible. They didn't age now, they didn't have bodies, it could take hundreds of years or it could only take one, Neo was going to lead the destruction of the Matrix and free the people he had failed so long ago. This wasn't fate or destiny, this is what Neo and Smith chose.

Michelle starts sneaking into Neo's room at night. She walks into his bed and while he's half-asleep he puts his arm over her and kisses the back of her neck.

"I love you."

Neo has two pills in his hand, and the great grandson of Morpheus and Niobe sits across from him. It's raining outside and Smith stands behind Neo's chair, watching.

"I cannot be with you." Neo tells the boy. "The world outside is cold and dangerous, it is a world ravaged by endless war. But it will be our home one day. You will have to build it to be so."

"We will free others." Smith says. "You will live together, rebuild."

"Transcend."

"You will fight."

"You will bleed."

"You may even die."

"But I will teach you how to stop bullets and how to fly."

Neo cannot go into the Real World now, not without a suitable body. He glazed over the coma victims in the nearby hospitals that could offer suitable body hosts, just so he could see the Real World again, just so he could be with the people who needed him. But here he could see everything. Here in the Matrix he could see into the very heart of the machine, and was connected not only to the Matrix, but the Machines themselves, and to the people within the Matrix. He saw and hear all.

Smith straightens his tie.

"Neo, last night Sati kissed me." He says. "I don't know what to do."

Neo says, kiss her back. Brown and Jones agree this is a suitable answer.

Neo laughs, he waves his trench coat around and floats up in the air a few feet. He doesn't have shoes on and he looks like he's just happy to be alive. He lies on his back in the air as if he were lying on a bed, and Smith walks up to him.

"Sometimes I wake up and I forget where I am. I think I'm still in a cell somewhere." Neo says.

"I was never one for sleep. I often spend my nights with Jones and Brown."

"You never think, maybe?"

"Sometimes."

Smith folds up his legs and joins Neo several feet in the air.

"I always believed in you, you know." Neo said.

"And I always believed in you." Smith said.

End.


End file.
